All That Was Lost Is Revealed
by pingo1387
Summary: Lost in the woods, three brothers seek the way home. Warning for implied off-screen character death.
1. Into the Unknown

"Sabo?"

Sabo started and snapped out of his thoughts, turning to the familiar freckled face on his left. "Ace?" he exclaimed. "What's—"

"Luffy was talking to you," Ace said, pointing to the small boy he carried on his shoulder.

"Oh . . . sorry, Luffy. What is it?"

Luffy grinned and held up the skeleton he carried by an arm, an afro on its head and a tattered suit on its body. "I was asking if you had any ideas for what to name him!"

"The skeleton?" Sabo said tiredly. "How about Luffy Jr.?"

"No, that's dumb."

Sabo turned forward again and stopped, lifting his top hat decorated with goggles. After a few paces, Ace stopped as well and turned around, staring at Sabo with Luffy.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked.

"Where . . ." Sabo's eyes travelled up the trees looming above them, the moon barely shining through their branches to light their path. An owl hooted and something skittered in the trees as the wind whistled. "Where are we?"

"We're in the forest," Luffy said, hitching the skeleton up and holding it around its chest. Despite that it was proportionately correct, the skeleton was almost nine feet tall.

"But—but what're we doing here?" Sabo's eyes landed on Ace again. "What're we _all _doing here?"

"Walking home," Luffy said.

"We're lost," Sabo said. He sat against a tree with warped wood and held his head in his hands. "We're lost in the woods . . ."

"Maybe you are," Ace said. "_I'm _not. You could always say 'misplaced' if it makes you feel better."

Sabo glared at him. "_You _aren't helping."

"Neither are you. You think sitting is going to make you un-misplaced?"

Sabo glared a moment more before he sighed and stood, holding his cape around him. "You're right. As always."

"So we're gonna get un-lost, right?" Luffy said as his brothers started to walk again.

"Yeah, eventually," Sabo said, keeping his eyes peeled. "Just gotta find someone and ask for directions. No big deal."

"How about him?" Ace said, pointing through the trees. Sabo stopped, and Ace bumped into him, and Luffy fumbled with his skeleton. Sabo and Ace hid behind a tree and peeked around it.

By the light of a lantern, an old man with greying hair was chopping wood on a stump in a clearing while humming a strange tune. He wiped the sweat from his brow, tied back his hair, and gave the wood one last strike with the axe before gathering the wood into a sling.

"He seems nice," Luffy said.

"He does _not," _Sabo hissed. "I don't know about this. He has an axe, we don't have any weapons. I knew I should've brought my pen knife tonight. Let's just find someone else who can help."

"What about me?" came a voice from their ankles. Ace and Sabo turned around and looked down to find an orange cat staring at them with brown eyes.

"Did that cat just . . ." Sabo whispered.

"You guys are lost, right?" the cat said. "I happen to be pretty good with directions. Maybe I can help."

Sabo blinked hard and smacked himself.

"That looks like fun!" Luffy exclaimed. He hit himself in the head, laughing. The pipe cleaners taped to his headband worn over his straw hat wobbled.

"This can't be real," Sabo said, staring at the cat. "Cats can't just _talk!" _

"Why not?" the cat and Ace said at the same time. Sabo glared at Ace, who gave him an apologetic grin.

"This night is officially too weird," Sabo said. "Thank you, Mr. Cat—"

"That's _Ms.!" _

"Oh, sorry. Thanks, Ms. Cat, but I think we're okay. We'll just—"

"_Show yourself!" _roared a voice. Sabo screamed in fear, Ace screamed in fear of Sabo's scream, and Luffy screamed in excitement. The cat's tail fluffed up and she muttered something like "Don't have time for this" before slipping away into the underbrush.

It was the woodcutter, and the anger in his lined face faded when his lantern showed him who he was looking at. "Oh . . . oh, dear," he said, backing away. "Forgive me, I heard something and thought . . . never mind. What are you boys doing here?"

"Looking for home," Sabo said, recovering. Luffy stared into the lantern, fascinated, but Ace took his chin and made him look away. "We're a bit lost."

"You are indeed," said the old man, turning away. "This is the Unknown. Didn't anyone tell you? If you're here, you're more lost than you realize."

Sabo and Ace stood as the old man walked away. He stopped and looked back. "Well? Come along."

"I dunno," Ace said, staring after him. "Maybe you were right, Sabo."

"No, he seems nice enough," Sabo said, stepping over a bush. "For a weirdo."

"Yeah, let's follow the guy with the axe," Luffy exclaimed, tapping the back of Ace's head.

"Fine, fine, just don't put it like that," Ace said, tapping Luffy back and stepping over the bush to follow Sabo and the woodcutter.

* * *

The woodcutter set his axe aside and struck two rocks together, lighting the fireplace in the old mill while Sabo and Ace sat on a couch against the wall. Luffy had climbed down from Ace's shoulder and now dusted his skeleton's clothes off, rubbing away specks of dirt on the skull.

"I found this old mill abandoned," the woodcutter said, standing and turning around. He picked up his lantern and cast his gaze around the house. "It suited my needs, so I took up residence here."

"Abandoned, huh?" Ace said, eyeing the axe.

"Your needs?" Sabo repeated.

The woodcutter sighed. "I grind the edelwood from the forest into oil, so I may keep this lantern lit," he said, holding up the lantern and pointing to the bundle of wood on his back. "This is the lot I've drawn in life. Forgive me—my name is Cobra. And you boys, what are you called?"

"I'm Sabo," Sabo said. "And, uh, this is my older brother, Ace, and my younger brother, Luffy."

"And the skeleton?"

"The skele—? He doesn't have a name."

"Not yet," Luffy piped up. "I'm still thinking of one."

Cobra nodded in approval. As he turned back around to check the fire, Ace leaned in and whispered, "Hey. I don't like this."

"Yeah, he's a little more weird than I thought," Sabo whispered back. "Should we leave?"

"What do you think?"

"What do _you_ think?"

"I think he's used that axe for more than just chopping wood." Ace nudged Sabo and pointed to the door. "We can grab Luffy and his skeleton and get out."

"But we're still lost," Sabo whispered.

"_You _are."

Sabo rolled his eyes. "Even if that guy's an axe murderer, he might know the way home. Let's ask him for directions, then we'll make a break for it."

"What are you boys whispering about?" Cobra said, looking back.

"They're talking about leaving," Luffy said. Ace and Sabo glared at him and shushed him.

"Leave if you wish," Cobra said, straightening up and turning around again. "But know that the Beast stalks these woods." The lantern cast strange shadows on his face as he spoke. "His only purpose, the entirety of his cursed existence, is to seek out lost souls such as yourselves."

"Oh, I see!" Luffy exclaimed. "He's helpful!"

"He's not helpful!" Cobra snapped. He sighed and went for the door by the stairs, looking back at them one last time. "I must go to the mill now. If you're still here when I return, I'll do my best to guide you."

He shut the door behind him.

"Oh, boy, I don't know about this," Sabo said, standing and pacing the room. "We could just leave, couldn't we? I don't think he'll try to stop us."

"Uh-huh," Ace said, lounging on the couch and fiddling with his red bead necklace.

"Then again, we do need directions," Sabo said, rubbing his chin. "Even if he's an axe murderer, I don't know why he'd try to kill us, do you? He lit that fire for us and everything, and it's not like we have anything worth stealing. And we haven't done anything to him."

"I'm hungry," Luffy announced.

"Just a second, Luffy. Ace, what do you think? Is there a Beast out there?"

"Yeah, he was telling the truth," Ace said, looking out the window.

"You think so, too. Okay." Sabo scratched his head under his hat and looked at the fire. "I guess . . . we'll stay here? And get directions. Then we'll leave."

"I'm gonna go look for food with my skeleton," Luffy announced, picking up his skeleton around the waist and running for the door to the outside, the legs dragging behind him.

"You do that," Sabo said, sitting on the couch by the fireplace. Ace stared at him, and then rolled his eyes and stood, going after Luffy.

Outside, Luffy ran alongside the brook flowing through the mill wheel and stopped, staring into the woods beyond. He bent his legs and prepared to jump over it, but as he leapt, someone caught him and threw him high into the air, making him drop his skeleton and catching him on the way back down.

"Ace!" Luffy exclaimed, giggling. Ace caught the skeleton and handed it back to Luffy. "Where's Sabo?"

"Still inside, brooding," Ace said, setting Luffy down on the other side of the brook.

"Brooding? What's that?"

"You know when hens sit on their eggs and they look like bread dough? That's brooding."

"Sabo's sitting on eggs?"

"Maybe. You should go ask him. What're you up to, shorty?"

"Just exploring with my skeleton," Luffy said.

A low growling came from the woods beyond and they froze. Ace held Luffy closer to him and squinted into the darkness.

"What's that?" Luffy whispered. "A tiger?"

"Hush up," Ace hissed, taking a step back.

Two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.

* * *

Sabo sat up on the couch at a crash from outside. Thumping sounds came from the door next to the stairs and Cobra burst through.

"What's going on?" he demanded. He looked around. "Where did your brothers go?"

"I—I dunno," Sabo said.

The door to the outside burst open to reveal Ace carrying Luffy and Luffy carrying his skeleton. "Sabo, _run!" _Ace yelled, and Luffy yelled, "Sabo, get off your eggs, it's coming!" and the door flew off its hinges to reveal a monstrous creature, almost canine in nature, its glowing eyes bulging and sharp teeth bared.

"Wh—What is _that?" _Sabo yelled, jumping to his feet. "Is that the Beast?!"

"Stay back!" Cobra roared, raising his axe. "This creature, vicious though it may be—"

Luffy reached for a vase on a table and hucked it at the creature. His aim was poor, and he struck Cobra in the head instead. Cobra sank to the floor, his axe clattering away.

"Luffy!" Ace exclaimed. "Be careful!"

"Luffy, you're messing everything up again," Sabo snapped as the creature turned to where the thrown vase had come from.

"I'm _sorry!" _Luffy cried. "It tried to eat my skeleton, and I was mad!"

"It was trying to eat _you," _Ace snapped.

"So why did you bring it _here?" _Sabo demanded.

"I had to warn you! What if we got away, and it came after you?!"

The creature charged at Sabo, snarling. Sabo looked around and picked up the fireplace grate, using it as a shield. Ace snuck behind the creature and picked up the axe, whacking the creature on its behind with the blunt side. Holding the axe and Luffy, he made a break for the door to the mill while Sabo hit the creature on its behind with the grate as it turned around. He threw the gate into its face and ran after Ace and Luffy.

Ace was already on the upper level. Sabo followed him up the ladder, where they backed up against the wall as the creature scrabbled at the edge of the platform with giant paws.

"Take Luffy or the axe, I can't hold both," Ace said. Sabo grabbed the axe and held it out, but the creature didn't falter. Sabo did, however, and backed away again.

"This is so cool!" Luffy exclaimed, trying to get out of Ace's arms.

"It's _not!" _Ace and Sabo yelled.

"Can we go up that ladder?"

Ace and Sabo followed Luffy's pointing finger to the ladder, which led to a ledge on the wall, which lead to a trapdoor in the roof of the mill.

"Luffy, you go first," Ace said, setting Luffy down. He took the skeleton and Luffy wailed. "Luffy, listen, you'll go faster if you're not carrying him. I'll carry him for you and I'll be extra-careful, I promise."

"Pinky-promise?" Luffy said, pouting.

"Pinky-promise! Go!"

Luffy scampered up the ladder with Ace close behind, carrying the skeleton. Sabo made a threatening swing with the axe before following, the axe on his shoulder. Crashes and bangs below them told him the creature wasn't far behind, climbing and destroying the machinery on its way up. Ace and Sabo sidled along a ledge and reached the ladder, climbing it with one hand each, Sabo holding the axe and Ace holding the skeleton, and they fell onto the roof above, getting their bearings.

"Ace," Luffy said, holding out his hands. Ace handed him his skeleton back and Luffy hugged it. At that moment, the creature burst through the roof, sending boards and wood chips flying everywhere. Sabo shielded Luffy and Ace shielded Sabo and all three backed up, Sabo catching Luffy before Luffy could back up right over the edge of the roof.

"What do we do?" Sabo exclaimed, looking at Ace.

"We need to get it off the roof! Can't you think of anything?!"

"Um—it's like a dog, right? Dogs like bones! Luffy, throw your skeleton at it!"

"_No!" _Luffy cried, clutching the skeleton close to him and frowning at Sabo. "He'll get eaten!"

"We have to do _something!" _

Luffy reached forward and grabbed the axe from Sabo's hands. "Here," he said, handing the skeleton back to Ace. He held up the axe. "Hey! Dog! Do you wanna stick? Do you wanna get it?"

To Sabo's and Ace's shock, the creature dropped to its belly, eyeing the axe.

"Okay! Go get it!" Luffy turned around and lobbed his arm in the direction of the mill wheel behind them. The creature bounded forward with a guttural sound, knocking Ace, Sabo, and Luffy off of the roof and landing between the mill wheel and the building. Ace landed in the brook, and stuck out a protective arm which Sabo landed on instead of in the water, and Luffy landed on Sabo. The mill wheel's motion squeezed the creature against the building, and something small and black flew out of its mouth, and the creature started to shrink.

"Luffy, that was amazing, but that was also _really _dangerous," Ace said, sitting up and making Sabo sit up with him. He stood and Sabo picked up Luffy, setting him on the bank before climbing out himself with Ace's helping hand. "You shouldn't be throwing axes until you get the hang of throwing knives."

"But I _didn't _throw it," Luffy said, holding up the axe. He gave them an impish grin. "I used to pretend to throw sticks all the time for Mr. Hocker and Mr. Boodle's dog Chouchou, to trick him, until he got smart."

"Still," Sabo said, rolling his eyes. Ace traded Luffy his skeleton for the axe, and Luffy wrung some water out of the skeleton's clothes.

A cry of anguish made all three of them turn. The woodcutter Cobra was awake, and standing outside, and staring up at the remains of the mill, destroyed by the creature's rampage.

"The mill," he said, holding up the lantern. "It's destroyed. It's destroyed . . . the oil for the lantern . . . !"

"Um . . . at least we got rid of the Beast," Sabo said, looking around for the creature. All he saw was a large shaggy dog, loping away into the night. "Right?"

"That creature?" Cobra turned around and Ace and Sabo flinched at the grimness in the lines on his face. "You poor boys, you have no idea, do you? That was not the Beast. The Beast is not some mindless force of destruction, and cannot be defeated so easily. His form is terror, his voice is an omen, and his very being is the death of all hope. If he were to find you children, he would—he is ruthless, he—my—"

He covered his mouth with his free hand, shaking. Sabo smacked the back of Luffy's head. "Look what you've done," he muttered.

"You are the older one, are you not?" Cobra said, approaching them and taking the axe back from Ace. "You should take responsibility for your brother."

"I—" Sabo looked at Ace, who folded his arms and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. Could we help fix it? I was reading about woodworking the other day—oh, we'll need tools—"

"Please, just leave me be," Cobra said, shaking his head. He pointed. "Cross this brook and head north. Look for a town."

"That's it!" Luffy exclaimed.

Ace, Sabo, and Cobra looked at him. "What's it?" Ace said.

"That's the perfect name for my skeleton! Brook!" Luffy hugged the skeleton again. "Brook, Brook, Brook! You've got a name now!"

This brought a smile to Cobra's face, but only for a moment. "One last thing," he said as the brothers started to cross the stream. "The Beast seeks out those who are lost. Stay on guard, and leave the Unknown . . . if he doesn't find you first."

"Of course," Sabo said, nodding. "Thank you again. Come on, Luffy."

"Hear that?" Ace said as they crossed the brook. He picked up Luffy and put him on his shoulder again, Brook the skeleton's legs now dragging on the ground a little less. "Stay on guard."

"You have to stay on guard, too, if he wasn't crazy," Sabo said, nudging him.

"I told you, _I'm _not lost." Ace nudged him back.

"Are too." Sabo punched him.

"Are not." Ace punched Sabo. Sabo punched Ace again and they traded blows over and over, Luffy helping by bopping one or both on their heads intermittently, but soon enough they fell into step again, talking amongst themselves as they walked into the night, and into the Unknown.


	2. You Have Beautiful Eyes

"I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"But I am hungry!"

"Don't you have any candy in your pockets?"

"I ate it all."

"Didn't I tell you not to do that? Didn't I ask you to save some for me?"

"Yeah, but I forgot, and I was hungry."

Ace rolled his eyes as Sabo bickered with Luffy. The brothers walked along the forest path, the trees surrounding them bursting with brilliant bright colors. The air had the nip of autumn to it and the dirt crunched under their feet. As they walked, a leaf fell from a tree in a breeze and fluttered into Luffy's face. He opened his mouth and ate it.

"Luffy, gross," Sabo said.

"I'm still hungry, but not as much," Luffy announced. He looked at Brook's skull. "Do you think Brook's hungry? Do you think he eats leaves?"

"I bet he'll eat anything you give him," Ace said. He had set Luffy down on request earlier. "Hey, look, a sign . . ."

"Help!"

"What was that?" Luffy said, looking around.

"Probably nothing. 'Floria, 1 mile?'" Sabo smiled, relieved. "A town! Maybe we can get help there. Luffy, come on."

He turned around to see Luffy running off in the direction they'd come from, Brook's legs dragging behind him.

"Luffy, what is it?" Ace said, following him. Sabo sighed and went after his brothers.

"Help!" called the voice again, and the three boys looked around, and then down, and then up into the trees. An orange cat was perched on a branch just higher than Ace's head, clinging to the wood with its claws and staring down at them.

"Hi, Mrs. Cat!" Luffy said. "Are you stuck?"

"Yes! Help me get down and I'll do you a favor, okay?"

"I get a wish? Are you a genie?"

"Not a wish, I'll just do something nice for you!"

"I wish for a beetle!"

"Get me down first!"

"Sabo, you hold Brook, I'll hold up Luffy," Ace said.

"I don't want him to hold Brook," Luffy protested. "He doesn't _like _Brook."

"I'm not gonna hurt your skeleton, Luffy, it's only for a minute," Sabo said, holding out his hands. Luffy let out a big sigh and handed over Brook, who Sabo held around the chest and under the arms. Ace picked up Luffy and held him up to the branch. Luffy held out his arms, and the cat slowly climbed into them.

"Gosh, thank you so much," the cat said, hopping out of Luffy's arms as soon as Ace had lowered him back down. Luffy held out his arms, wiggling his fingers, and Sabo returned Brook. Luffy hugged him. "I really owe you guys one. Aren't you boys lost?"

"They are," Ace said, pointing to Sabo and Luffy. Sabo rolled his eyes and Luffy nodded.

"I'm pretty good with directions, myself. Now, I may not know where your home is, but I know someone who can help you get there. Her name is Adelaide, the good woman of the woods, and she lives in the pasture. How about I guide you there and we'll call it even?"

Sabo looked at Ace for advice, and Ace looked at Sabo, shrugging. Sabo sighed. "I dunno," he said. "This has been a really weird day. Is this Adelaide less than an hour's walk away? No? Then why don't we check out Floria first, and then if we can't get help there, we'll go with you to Adelaide."

"But—fine," the cat sighed. She stretched. "I guess I'm coming with you."

"Yay!" Luffy said as the four of them set off again. They emerged from the trees onto a dirt road surrounded by fields of wheat and barley and pumpkin vines. "So, Mrs. Cat—"

"Nami."

"What?"

"My name is Nami," Nami the cat said, trotting alongside Luffy with her tail high in the air. "You're Luffy, right?"

"How'd you know that? I thought you said you weren't a genie."

"She heard us talking before, Luffy," Sabo said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Oh, that makes sense. So, I'm Luffy, that's Sabo, that's Ace, and this is Brook. He says hello."

Nami scrunched up her nose at the skeleton. "That's nice. Wanna ditch your brothers and come with me to Adelaide's?"

"No way, I'm not going anywhere without them," Luffy protested. "Besides, Ace carries me when I don't wanna walk. Can you carry me on your back?"

"No! You'd crush me!"

"See? So I'm staying with them."

A squish below his feet made everyone stop and look around. Luffy had stepped in an overripe pumpkin.

"Luffy, be careful," Sabo said, right before he stepped in a pumpkin, too. He sighed and shook his foot until it flew away.

"You two never change," Ace said, shaking his head. "You guys can be so reckless."

He moved his foot and it sank into a pumpkin. Sabo burst out laughing and Luffy pointed and said, "Hippo-cliff!"

"Um . . . that's 'hypocrite,'" Nami said as Ace scowled at Sabo and shook the pumpkin off of his foot, kicking it into Sabo. Sabo kicked it back and they started wrestling. "Can we ditch them _now?" _

"Yeah, let's go to the town," Luffy said, sneaking around Ace and Sabo and moving Brook around so his legs wouldn't get caught up in theirs.

"I meant to Adelaide's," Nami said, too late. She sighed and bounded after him.

Luffy strolled into town, shifting his grip around Brook's chest. Quaint houses surrounded them, and oddly enough, so did the smell of the sea. The sun shone through the clouds in a typical autumn way, lighting the dirt road winding between the buildings.

"Hello?" Luffy called as Sabo and Ace caught up to him and Nami. "People?"

"It's awfully quiet," Sabo said. He stopped and peered into a window. "I don't see anyone, and there aren't any lights on."

"Maybe it's abandoned," Ace said. "Luffy, take that off."

"No," Luffy said, his left foot squishing inside the pumpkin every time he moved. "It's my new shoe. New shoe, blue shoe, glue shoe—"

"Hold on," Sabo said. He knocked on a door and pushed it open when there was no response. "Hello?"

Pumpkin guts and carving tools on a white kitchen table were the only things of interest he saw. He crept inside, looking around, and soon emerged again.

"I didn't see anyone, or a phone for that matter," he reported. He looked down. "Okay, Nami, I guess—do you hear that?"

The sound of singing reached their ears and the four of them hurried to the end of the road. Just downhill was a barn, from which human voices floated:

"_From . . . removed, our . . . foot-fall  
Tempers this holy ground;  
Where timeless . . . meet,  
_'_Round the heart of . . ." _

"We're going to Adelaide's, right?" Nami said.

"Sounds like everyone in town is in there," Sabo said. "We should at least talk to someone before we go."

He went down the hill, closely followed by Luffy dragging Brook and walking with the pumpkin on his foot, closely followed by Ace who held out his arms, closely followed by Nami who turned her head from him and trotted after Luffy. As they got closer, the singing became clearer:

"_Oh, hi thee forth o'er golden mead,  
Yon is the maypole set . . ." _

They stopped outside the barn doors. Ace pulled his travelling cloak tighter around him and straightened his hat, Sabo tugged on his sleeves and straightened his hat, and Luffy hitched up his pants and straightened his hat. Nami pushed the door open with her head, and the four of them crept inside.

"_A ribbon to wind thy soul,  
And to bind love to thy breast!" _

The inside of the barn was dimly lit, and crowded. Everyone present danced, and clapped, and chattered, and several were in the center, entwining ribbons around the proverbial maypole, while several more shucked corn, peeled fruit, and bobbed for apples. Everyone, strangely enough, also wore pumpkins on their heads and sometimes bodies, their limbs and hands and feet covered by straw. The pumpkins were carved with faces, some with markings like beards or scars. Even a large grizzled old black cat was dancing in a group.

"Okay, so we've wandered into a cult," Ace said.

"No big deal, we can still ask for help," Sabo said even as he swallowed nervously.

"They're all wearing pumpkins," Luffy said. He grinned and held up his foot. "I fit right in! Nami, dance with me! Dance with me!"

"No." Luffy picked up Nami by the forelegs and spun away, forcing her to totter after him on hind legs. "No! I said no! Stop it! I'll claw you!"

Sabo and Ace looked around, turning as they walked, and both bumped into one of the townsfolk. "Pardon me," they said together.

"Worry not, friends, the harvest is upon us, after all," the pumpkin-wearer said warmly, turning to face them. He tilted his head. "Aren't you a bit too early?"

"Early?" Sabo repeated.

"It doesn't seem like you're ready to join us . . . oh, well, the more, the merrier! Have a pint!"

"No, thank you," Ace said, pushing away the glass with two fingers while someone across the room asked Luffy if his friend was asleep. "We're actually . . . just passing through. We need directions so we can leave."

"Leave?" the pumpkin wearer repeated loudly, straightening up. A hush fell over the room. "You're leaving Floria?"

"We're leaving?" Luffy called from across the room. Sabo and Ace shot glares at him and he covered his mouth, and then covered Brook's. Nami scampered away from him.

Someone shut the doors, engulfing the barn in almost total darkness save for the few lamps on the walls and the sunlight shining through the roof, the autumn light no longer comforting.

"Now hold on," said a new voice. The pumpkin-wearers, who had begun to surround the brothers, forcing them together, turned to the speaker. Someone stepped forward, the white hat on his head resembling Ace's, while the carving under his right eye resembled an upside-down music note stem and flag, and the one under his mouth resembled a right side-up one. The grizzled black cat jumped into his arms, and as the person stepped into the light, the scars on the cat's forehead became clear.

"This isn't how we treat newcomers when we don't even know their intentions," the pumpkin-wearer, who seemed to be the leader, said. "Is it?"

"Then what shall we do with them, Captain?" said someone wearing the same outfit and face as the person next to them. Someone else brought a struggling Nami to the brothers and placed her next to Luffy. She growled and Luffy smiled and waved at her.

"We'll talk to them. You five, how did you end up in our town?"

"Five . . . ? We were walking and just happened to come upon here," Sabo said. "We wanted to ask for directions, because we're a little lost—"

"And me, and Ace and Sabo stepped in pumpkins," Luffy added, showing them his pumpkin shoe.

"Um, yeah, we did," Sabo said, closing his eyes. "We . . . didn't mean any harm, so if we could just go . . ."

The Captain shook his head, stroking the large cat in his arms. "You may not have meant any harm, but you still damaged our crops and interrupted our private engagement. We can't just let you five go."

"Five?" Sabo repeated.

"If you won't let us go, then . . . ?" Ace said.

The Captain shrugged. "What do all of you say to an hour or two of helping us in the fields?"

* * *

The work passed quickly. The pumpkin people were kind, even friendly, and Sabo found himself falling into place in conversation as he cut wheat and picked corn with Ace and Luffy, despite that Luffy sat and complained more often than he worked, and that Nami didn't work at all, instead choosing to nap in the fields. Not trusting them, the pumpkin people had attached a ball-and-chain around everyone's ankle, with a tiny one for Nami. Even Brook had one, and the pumpkin people spoke with him as if he were alive, though he never responded once to their chatter.

Sabo dug out another shovelful of dirt from the barren patch of land and sighed, wiping sweat off his brow. "You know, this isn't so bad," he called to Ace and Luffy.

"We're being held hostage," Ace pointed out, digging his own hole.

"Even Brook is, and he didn't do anything," Luffy said, pointing at the limp skeleton next to him. He was holding his own digging, having found something he enjoyed. The pumpkin people had made him take off his pumpkin shoe before working.

"Neither did I," Nami snapped, sitting next to Sabo.

"Yeah, but they'll let us go once we're done," Sabo said. "And . . . I don't know, maybe we can just stay here. What do you guys think?"

"Okay, we'll stay here and then we'll go home," Luffy said. Ace nodded.

"No, I meant—"

"Why do they want you digging these holes, anyway?" Nami said. Her pupils enlarged. "Maybe they're going to bury you!"

"What?" Sabo said. "No way. They seem nice. Don't they?"

"I found treasure!" Luffy called.

"Coming!" Sabo called. "See, Nami, it's fine." He pulled himself out of the hole and went over to Luffy with Ace. "What'd you find, Luffy?"

"A friend for Brook," Luffy said, pointing at the skeleton in the ground. Sabo and Ace jumped back.

"I changed my mind, I want to leave," Sabo said, clutching his shovel like a weapon. "Nami, can you pick locks with your claws or something?"

"Of course I can."

"Can you please pick ours and let us go?"

"And fast?" Ace said, eyeing the parade of pumpkin people coming up over the hill.

"Fine," Nami said, rolling her eyes. She stepped out of her shackle, shaking off the chain, and trotted over to Luffy, jumping into his hole with him.

"Are the holes dug?" said the Captain as the pumpkin people reached them. Luffy climbed out of his hole and lingered, waiting for his brothers at a look from Ace. Nami jumped into Ace's hole next.

"Um . . . yes?" Sabo said, cursing himself internally.

"Wonderful," said someone else. "Then the harvest can begin!"

Nami jumped out of Ace's hole and was about to go to Sabo, but Luffy signalled to her and she rolled her eyes, going back to him to pick the lock on Brook's shackle.

"Right . . . the harvest," Sabo said. "Can you tell me in as much detail as possible, and very slowly, what happens in the harvest?"

Behind him, the skeleton from Luffy's hole climbed out, its bones rattling. Ace jumped and Nami's tail fluffed up as she arched her back. Luffy laughed and clapped. Before anyone could start explaining, Sabo stiffened and turned around, staring at the reanimated skeleton. A skeleton climbed out of his hole and Ace's, joining it, and they approached the pumpkin people, who cheered and handed pumpkins off to all three of them.

As the skeletons donned their pumpkins, Nami went to Sabo's hole and picked the lock on his shackle, but he was too stunned to notice. "They're skeletons?" he said. "They're _all _skeletons?"

A shout of delight made him turn around again, and he was met with yet another shock: Brook, who had just been lying on the ground, lifeless as always, was standing up on his own. He stretched, dusted off his suit, and approached the pumpkin people.

"What a wonderful harvest, indeed!" cried the Captain, embracing Brook as Brook embraced him in turn. "Will you be staying with us, then? What about you four?"

"Us? No, no thank you," Sabo said, shaking his head. "We've got places to be."

"That's just fine! I hope we meet again someday!"

Sabo looked down and climbed out of his hole, hurrying to Ace with Nami. As the three turned to go, Luffy suddenly ran past them.

"Luffy, what now?" Sabo said. Luffy hugged Brook around the leg and then ran back to his brothers and Nami, playing with the pipe cleaners on his sides. Sabo sighed and pushed Luffy's hat over his eyes, and they set off for the woods.

"Okay," Ace said, sitting on a rock just inside the forest. He looked back. "Are they chasing us? No. Good."

"So, wait," Sabo said. "Brook was _real?" _

"Of course he was real," Luffy said, pouting and fixing his hat. "He was with us this whole time. Now he found a home, and he's gone forever."

"I meant a real skeleton!"

"What else would he be?" Nami said.

"I thought he was a party decoration someone threw away! Real skeletons don't normally have all their bones attached to each other, do they? Real skeletons don't normally have afros and suits, do they?"

"Guess not," Ace said. He peered over Sabo's shoulder. "And . . . I was wrong."

Brook was walking towards them, still wearing the old tattered suit Luffy had found him in, still wearing an afro upon his head. He stopped short of them and knelt on one knee, facing Luffy and bowing his head.

"You came back!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes welling up. He hugged Brook again. "Do you like us that much?"

"I wish he didn't," Sabo said under his breath.

"Hate to say it, but I'm with you," Nami said.

"I think he just likes Luffy," Ace said as Brook situated himself at Luffy's side. "So? What now?"

"I guess . . . we're going to Adelaide's?" Sabo said.

"Finally," Nami said. "Come on. For now, we follow the path."

She trotted on ahead through the trees, tail flicking behind her. Ace and Sabo stood and followed her, and Luffy ran after them with his arms out, laughing as Brook walked alongside him in silence.


	3. Potatoes & Molasses

"Oh, we're going to the pasture, to meet Adelaide, so she can help us get home!" Luffy sang as the five of them walked along the path in the cool autumn sun. Brook kept time by conducting with his hands. "She's a real nice lady, and she'll help us get home! I don't know who she is, but I know where she is! We're going to meet Adelaide, we're going to meet Adelaide! Guys, sing with me!"

"No," Sabo said.

"I can't, Luffy, you're just too good," Ace said.

"Cats can't sing," Nami said, trying to keep at least five feet between her and the others.

"Then I'll keep singing by myself. Oh, we're going to the pasture, to meet Adelaide, and ask her . . . that one's good! What do you think, Brook?"

Brook, still at Luffy's side, nodded and clapped his hands.

"Don't you talk?" Ace asked. "Your friends in Floria did."

Brook rattled his bones and continued to conduct as Luffy tried out different lines in his song.

"Guess not," Sabo said. "Probably for the best."

Brook placed a hand on his chest and a puff of air escaped through his teeth.

"To meet Adelaide, so she can . . . to meet Adelaide, and ask her . . . hey, is that Adelaide's?" Luffy asked, pointing. "I didn't even get to finish my song!"

"What a shame," Sabo said. "Nami?"

"That's not Adelaide's," Nami said. "Does this _look _like the pasture?"

In a clearing up ahead was a small building, shaped and painted like a traditional schoolhouse, with a few wings that looked like they'd been recently added.

"Let's keep moving," Nami said after everyone had gotten a good look at the place. "You want to get home, don't you?"

"Just a second," Sabo said, and Nami turned around, annoyed. "This might not be Adelaide's, but something smells good in there. Maybe we can stop for a second and see if they have food?"

That sealed the deal for Luffy, who ran ahead with a cry of, "Food!" with Brook at his heels. Ace rolled his eyes and smiled, following Luffy, and Sabo shrugged at Nami with a grin and went after his brothers. Nami huffed and followed suit.

"Hello?" Luffy called, knocking on the door. "Food?"

Hurried footsteps came from inside and the door swung open, almost knocking him over. The five found themselves looking at a blonde man with a relieved expression, but the look fell away as soon as his eyes fell on the faces of the visitors.

"More orphans?" he said tiredly. "Come in, come in. Single-file, please. I'll have a meal ready for you in a minute."

"Um, we're not—" Sabo began, but Ace shushed him and ushered him inside with the others. Luffy was already sitting at a large table with Brook, slapping his hands on the wood with a big grin. The building was as small as it had seemed from the outside. A kitchen was on the left side of the room, the large table was in the middle, and a door was on the left and the right.

"Please, please, sit," said the blonde man, whose hair covered half of his face, the other half showing an unusually curled eyebrow. Ace, Sabo, and Nami sat at the table, Ace next to Luffy, Sabo next to Ace, and Nami next to Sabo. "I'll be right back."

He ran his hands down his rumpled shirt a few times and went into the door on the right, shutting it behind him.

"Orphans?" Sabo repeated.

"If we're talking about birth parents, I am," Ace said. "You are because yours are dead to you, and assuming those birthday cards for Luffy aren't forgeries—"

"I want food," Luffy repeated. He and Brook started slapping the table again, but jolted to a stop when the door swung open again. The blonde man emerged, shutting the door behind him and crossing the room. He paused in the kitchenette and looked back at the table.

"Pardon me, but can the cat eat potatoes?" he asked, pointing to Nami.

"I'll eat anything," Nami said.

The man blinked, nodded, and busied himself with the stove.

"What do you think this place is?" Sabo asked in a whisper.

"Probably an orphanage, right?" Ace whispered. "Where else do you get greeted as orphans by a stranger?"

"I guess you're right. At least we get free food."

"I want food!" Luffy exclaimed, slapping the table.

"Luffy, shush," Sabo said tiredly.

"It'll be ready in a minute," Sanji called.

"Brook, you want food too, right?" Luffy said. Brook nodded and slapped the table with him.

"_You _aren't helping," Sabo said, glaring at Brook, who gave him an ominous stare in return. Sabo looked away first, taking interest in the kitchenette where the blonde man was working. Seconds later, he approached the table again, balancing five plates of white mush with brown syrup on his arms.

"Potatoes and molasses," he announced, serving up the dishes as professionally as a waiter in a restaurant. "Forgive me, but that's all we have right now."

"No meat?" Luffy said even as he picked up his spoon and shoved some of the glop into his mouth. Brook copied him, messing his face as he ate.

"I'm afraid not." The cook sat at the table with them as they started on their sorry meal. "My name is Sanji. Can I ask for yours?"

"I'm Ace, and these are my little brothers Sabo and Luffy," Ace said after he'd swallowed his mouthful. "The skeleton is Brook, and the cat is Nami."

Nami let her mouthful of potatoes and molasses fall out of her mouth and onto the plate as discreetly as possible. She sat back in her chair and shook her head as if getting rid of water.

"A pleasure. Welcome to the orphanage. You can stay here as long as you need to, though we do ask everyone to help with chores once in a while. We've got four other kids staying here right now, so if the room gets too crowded, we can always build another wing. I'll give you the tour as soon as you're all done eating. Any questions?"

"We're not staying," Ace said. "We were just passing by and thought we'd see if you had food."

"Oh, thank god," Sanji said, bowing his head. He looked up again with a grimace. "Sorry, that was awfully rude. It's just that we're short-changed and short-staffed right now. We're a little low on food as it is."

"Sorry, did we use up your food stores?" Sabo said, guiltily looking at his half-eaten plate of potatoes.

"You came here for a meal, and you got a meal," Sanji said with a smile. "That's what food's meant for. Feeding someone's never a waste, no matter who it is."

Sabo returned to his food as Luffy and Brook started eyeing his plate. He pulled it away from them, scowling.

"Hey," someone said, coming in through the door on the right and shutting it behind him. He was a tall man with a metal nose and limbs, blue hair slicked back, an open shirt, and briefs. "Toko just went down for a nap, Rika's reading a book, and Tama's trying to teach Chimney to play chess." He spotted the group at the table. "You kids the new orphans? My name's Franky. Did Sanji give you the talk?"

"We're not staying," Nami repeated.

"Oh, thank god."

"But we could—" Sabo finished his food and pushed his plate away. "We _could _stay for a little bit, and leave in the morning. We can probably stand going without food for a bit."

"Sabo, _no," _Luffy cried.

"Okay, okay—half portions?" Sabo suggested, looking at Sanji. "I mean, you gave us food and everything. We could do some chores in return."

"If you'd like," Sanji said. "That would actually be great. Thank you." He stood. "Go ahead and finish your food, and meet us outside."

As soon as he and Franky were gone, Ace and Nami gave Sabo a look.

"What?" he said.

"We're _supposed _to be going to Adelaide's," Nami reminded him. She nudged her plate of potatoes and molasses across the table. "Pass this to Luffy. I forgot cats are carnivores."

"You forgot you're a carnivore?" Sabo repeated.

"Shut up. So, Adelaide's?"

"Look, I just thought—since they gave us food and all—it's just till morning, okay?" Sabo said, removing his hat and ruffling his hair. He passed the plate to Ace, who passed it to Luffy, who cut the portion in half and shared it with Brook. "Sanji said they were short-staffed. We can help out for a bit, right?"

"Fine," Ace said. "Luffy?"

"We can stay!" Luffy agreed, licking his spoon. "I like it here!"

"You have to do more work."

"That's okay. Right, Brook?" Brook nodded, letting out a belch. "Yeah!"

"You're only saying it's okay because you'll make us do your part," Ace said under his breath. "Fine, I guess we're staying till morning."

* * *

"We've been trying to paint the outside walls, but we've been busy since one of us ran out a few days ago," Sanji explained, handing paintbrushes and paint cans off to Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. "There's no rush, so don't feel pressured to get a whole wall done, and it's okay if you only paint what you can reach. Let me know if you get hungry. Franky and I will be inside if you need us."

"Thanks again, dudes," Franky said, giving them a metal thumbs-up. "You're really super! Oh, and watch your backs—a wild gorilla showed up yesterday and scared the kids."

"Come inside right away if it comes back," Sanji said.

"No problem," Sabo said with a nod.

"Thanks for putting up with us, er, putting us up," Ace said with a slight bow of his head.

Sanji and Franky went back inside.

"I'm hungry," Luffy announced as Ace, Sabo, and Brook began painting.

"You just ate," Sabo reminded him. "Can you help us paint, Luffy? You like drawing, don't you?"

"Drawing's fun 'cause I can make whatever I want. This is boring."

"You haven't even tried it," Ace said. "What about you, Nami?"

"What do you expect me to do, hold a paintbrush with my tail?" Nami said, lounging on the grass.

Ace looked at her tail.

"I can't! I'll just supervise."

"That's a good idea!" Luffy exclaimed. He lay on the grass next to her. "I'm supervising!"

"You're not," Sabo said, concentrating on painting. As his brush ran next to a window, a face appeared in the glass. It was a little girl with brown hair. Seconds later, two more faces appeared, crowding the window: A girl with a wide smile and blonde pigtails, and a girl with purple hair in a ponytail. Sabo, Ace, and Brook waved, and the girls laughed and disappeared from the glass, peeking back seconds later.

While Ace and Sabo busied themselves with playing with the girls, Luffy sat up and looked into the woods. He looked at Nami, who had fallen asleep in the sun, and got up, running into the trees. Brook spotted him and set down his paintbrush, hurrying after him.

"Luffy?" Ace said, noticing movement. He looked around and sighed. "Damn it." He dropped his paintbrush into the can and walked away, searching the premises.

"What is it?" Sabo said.

"Luffy went off somewhere," Ace said, going around the house. "Brook must've gone with him, but . . . did you see where?"

"No," Sabo said. "He's probably fine."

Ace poked his head back around the corner with a scowl. "Sanji and Franky said there's a gorilla loose around here. Luffy could never take down either of us, and he's seven. What makes you think he could take down a gorilla?"

"What're the odds he runs into it, though?" Sabo said. The girls were watching from the window, trying to see where Ace had gone.

A rustling came from the forest and Brook emerged, leading Luffy by the hand.

"Hi!" Luffy exclaimed. "Ace, Sabo, I met the gorilla! I was trying to make friends with it, but Brook made me leave."

"Luffy, you could've been hurt," Ace said, relieved. "Brook did the right thing."

As Brook led Luffy inside, Ace gave Sabo a look.

"Point taken," Sabo said. "We should probably get inside, too, huh?"

Ace nodded and came back around, gathering the paints and brushes with Sabo. Just as they finished, they heard another rustling and turned. A large gorilla with tattered fur emerged from the trees. It lumbered towards them, making incomprehensible groaning sounds and pointing to its head. Thinking fast, Sabo threw a paint can at its head, Ace scooped up Nami, and both ran inside.

"What the hell?" Nami hissed as Sabo kicked the door shut. She extended her claws and Ace dropped her. Luffy, for some reason, was on Franky's shoulder while Brook stood at his side.

"Did it come back already?" Sanji asked. He and Franky had been cleaning the windows. When Sabo and Ace nodded, he cursed under his breath. "Would you help us dust around here instead?"

* * *

While the brothers and Brook worked (and Nami reluctantly, having been given a rag to paw along the floor edges and corners), they met the four other residents of the orphanage: Rika, the girl with brown hair; Chimney, the girl with pigtails; Tama, the girl with purple hair; and Toko, a girl with pink hair who had just woken up from a nap.

The work made the time fly by, and soon dinner was ready. It was the same as lunch, though Ace and Nami discreetly gave their portions to Luffy, who shared them with Brook. Once or twice, Sabo thought he caught a glimpse of the gorilla staring longingly into the window, but it was gone every time he was about to point it out. That evening they were shown to their quarters: The wing on the right of the house, where they would be sharing a room with the girls. There were almost enough beds for everyone, and though Franky told them he could make more beds in no time, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy assured him they didn't mind sharing beds, and Nami remarked that she could sleep on the windowsill.

"Ace," Sabo whispered as soon as the girls and Luffy were asleep. Luffy had insisted on sharing a bed with Brook despite Ace and Sabo offering to share one of their beds with him, so Ace and Sabo had ended up on the same mattress.

"What?" Ace whispered back. Nami was dozing on the windowsill, and for some reason, Brook was snoring.

"I hear something."

As one they stood and crept to the door. They opened it and snuck across the room, pressing their ears to the door on the opposite side.

". . . At this rate," a voice that was surely Sanji was saying. "The whole plan was to support ourselves with this money while we transition into a self-sustaining model. With the bad crops this year, we've fallen behind. We don't have any other choice."

"But it's his stuff," a voice that was surely Franky said. "We can't just sell it without his permission."

"He shouldn't have fucking run out on us without permission, but here we are," came the biting response.

"He's only been gone for three days. Maybe we can—"

"And in that time, we've picked up five more orphans, and if they stay any longer than tomorrow morning, I'm really going to have to stretch things thin to feed everyone. Not to mention that gorilla on the loose—"

"Okay," Franky said. "I'll put his stuff by the door, and first thing after breakfast, I'll take them to the market and see what kind of price I can get."

"Thank you," came the weary response. "Goodnight."

"Night."

Shuffling sounds replaced the voices, and a few minutes later, someone was snoring.

"I didn't realize their situation was so bad," Sabo whispered.

"Yeah, poor guys," Ace agreed.

"I have an idea," Luffy announced.

Ace and Sabo whipped around. There, in the moonlight, were Luffy and Brook.

"When did you—? Go back to bed," Sabo whispered.

"No," Luffy said. Ace and Sabo shushed him and he lowered his voice. "I heard everything, too. Those guys are real nice, and so are their daughters, so let's go in there and steal their stuff."

* * *

Franky sat up in his bed with a big yawn and scratched his head. "Morning," he said to Sanji, who was despairing on the floor. "What's up?"

"They're gone," Sanji said, pointing.

"What?"

"They're gone. His stuff. It's all gone."

Franky looked towards the door. Sure enough, everything he'd put there the night before had vanished.

"Who stole it?" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed. "It couldn't have been those new orphans, right? They seemed so super!"

"I don't know," Sanji said, still on all fours on the floor. "It's lost. It's all lost. We're done for."

"Do you hear something?" Franky asked at a cry from outside. "Have you checked on the kids yet?"

Sanji's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet. He flew to the other side of the house and burst back into the bedroom in seconds. "They're all gone, too! Don't tell me they went outside?!"

He and Franky hurried out the door and threw open the front, following the noises. When they saw the commotion, they could hardly believe their eyes.

"Demon, you shall not eat my master's flesh today!" cried Tama, brandishing one of the missing replica swords at Brook, who backed away. "Now away with thee!"

"Away!" Toko repeated, barely keeping back a smile at the absurdity of it all. Brook covered his face and fled the scene, and the large crowd of people surrounding the painted circle marking off the makeshift stage applauded.

"What is this?" Sanji said. He and Franky spotted Ace, Sabo, Luffy, and Nami watching and made their way over to them. "What's going on?"

"Since you guys are short on money, we thought this would be a good idea," Sabo explained, pointing to his hat resting near the stage, slowly filling up with gold coins.

"It's a fun-raiser," Luffy explained, ripping up grass and eating it.

"Fundraiser," Ace said.

"No, it's fun-raiser because everyone's having fun. You sure are dumb sometimes."

Ace shook his head. "Luffy thought a play would be a good idea, and the girls and Brook were more than happy to go along with it," he said.

"Oh . . . that's . . ." Franky pulled out a handkerchief as he started to sob, dabbing at his eyes. "That's so super-sweet! You guys are the best!"

"How can we thank you?" Sanji said, dazed.

"You gave us food already," Sabo said. "And a nice place to sleep. Unless you know the way back home?"

"Know the way . . ." Sanji stifled a laugh. "No, I'm afraid I don't. Sorry, you just reminded me of the guy who ran out on us. He had no sense of direction."

"You don't suppose he's been lost all this time?" Franky said, stowing away his handkerchief and sniffling again.

"Wouldn't put it past him, but I doubt it," Sanji said bitterly. "Everything would be perfect if only—_gorilla!" _

The crowd screamed as the gorilla, now covered in white paint, came lumbering out of the trees. It loped towards Sanji and Franky, grunting something, but was taken by surprise by a blow to its side.

"Back, demon!" Tama yelled, smacking it with the replica sword.

"Away!" Toko yelled, copying her.

"Away!" Chimney echoed, hitting it with her fists.

"Begone!" Rika yelled, kicking it.

Despite the multi-level assault, the gorilla seemed reluctant to fight back, instead grasping its head and tugging as if bothered by something. Ace and Sabo looked at each other, nodded, and ran for the gorilla, tackling it to the ground. Its head popped off as it hit the grass, and the crowd gasped.

"Are you girls okay?" Sanji exclaimed, running to look them over.

"Wait, Sanji," Franky said, approaching the gorilla. "Its head . . ."

"Finally," someone grunted as the gorilla sat up, causing Ace and Sabo to tumble off of it. A man was inside the gorilla, a man with green hair, and he scratched his head, looking around.

"It was _you?!" _Sanji yelled, going over to him and kicking his side.

"Zoro!" Franky cried, taking out his handkerchief again as tears fell from his eyes. "You came back!"

"I've been trying to," Zoro said, climbing out of the costume.

"Why did you run away, you bastard?!" Sanji hissed as the crowd waited with bated breath.

"Run away? I got a gig at the circus to earn money for the orphanage. But then I got stuck inside the costume, and no one could understand what I was saying."

Franky swept him up in a hug and set him down as the crowd cheered. "We've got the money issue taken care of for now, bro, don't you worry," he said, wiping his face. "More importantly, go take a bath."

"Zoro's back!" Rika cheered, running forward to hug him. "Zoro, now you can watch the play!"

"Can we leave now?" Nami asked as Ace and Sabo returned to her and Luffy, who had been watching the situation with great amusement.

"Not until Brook's done with the play," Luffy said, pointing to Brook, who was waiting on the edge of the stage. "And I wanna see the end, too."

"He's right," Sabo said, going to a tree and sitting against it while the other girls followed Rika's example and Sanji continued to yell at Zoro. "We've got some time. Let's enjoy this."


	4. The Beast Is Out There

Cobra lifted the lantern and searched the trees in the dead of night, sweeping the light this way and that. He muttered under his breath, his eyes and ears sharp, and he turned when he heard a racket approaching. He crept to the nearby road, peering out from behind a tree as a cart barrelled by in the rain, pulled by a horse while its driver cried out.

"The Beast!" the driver yelped. "The Beast is upon me! Oh me, oh my!"

On the cart was a pile of straw and a lone duck. From out of the straw popped Luffy, covered in bits and dust, and he looked around before grabbing the duck and withdrawing again.

"Well?" Sabo said. He, Ace, Luffy, Brook, and Nami were huddled closer together than Nami would have liked and closer to Brook than Sabo would have liked.

"I didn't see any Beast," Luffy said as the driver cried out again. "That guy's imagining things. I did find this duck, though. Can we eat it? I'm hungry."

"No, we don't have anything to prepare it with," Ace said. "You'll end up with feathers in your mouth if you try to eat it now."

"If I eat the duck's feathers, do I get the abilibity to fly?"

"If you eat the duck's feathers, you get a stomachache," Sabo said. He chanced a peek through the straw. "Looks like you're right. Lucky us."

"Lucky?" Nami repeated. She sneezed. "Excuse me—that driver's losing his mind and losing us while he's at it! He's going way off-course!"

"What about eggs?" Luffy said. "Can the duck lay eggs?"

"I think that's a male, Luffy," Ace said.

"So?" Luffy shook the duck. It squawked at him and flapped its wings, sending dust flying about and making everyone sneeze. At that moment, the cart took a sharp turn, sending the pile of straw along with its residents flying out into the rain. Luffy grabbed Sabo and Sabo wrapped his arms around him automatically, and Nami clung to Ace with her claws, and Brook laid himself across Sabo and Luffy, and all five crashed onto the dirt road.

"Get off, come on," Sabo said, checking on Luffy. Brook climbed off of him, and Luffy sat up, still sitting on Sabo's stomach. Sabo pushed him and stood.

"Where do you suppose we are?" he asked.

"I don't know," Nami hissed, sheathing her claws and hopping off of Ace, who sat up with a scowl and checked his torso for wounds. "_Whose _bright idea was it to hitch a ride with that lunatic?"

"Yours, wasn't it?" Ace said.

"Oh, look, a tavern," Nami said, pointing with her tail to the building just up ahead. Light poured from its windows and murmurs and laughter were heard from inside. "We can ask for directions there."

"I thought you knew where Adelaide was," Sabo said. Ace stood and Luffy picked up a worm from the dirt, proudly showing it to Brook, who recoiled. When Luffy pouted, Brook pulled himself together and gave Luffy a thumbs-up.

"I do, but . . . none of you have money, right?"

"What makes you think we don't?" Ace said.

She looked at him.

"Alright, we don't. So what?"

"Do we need to pay her for her to help us?" Sabo said, scowling. "Figures. Some good woman."

"It's not _her _we need to pay, it's—oh, I'll explain after we get directions! Just come on already!"

"Luffy, put that back, it misses its friends," Sabo said as he started off towards the tavern with a roll of his eyes. Luffy looked horror-struck and put the worm back with an apology before running after Sabo and Nami with Ace and Brook at his sides.

Sabo knocked twice upon the door before turning the handle. He frowned, checked the hinges, and pushed.

"What's up?" Ace said as he, Luffy, and Brook reached him and Nami.

"It's stuck or something," Sabo grunted. He opened the door a crack and stuck his head inside. "Um . . . oh." A large, shaggy dog lay directly against the door and was preventing it from being opened. "Excuse me . . ."

Sabo threw his weight against the door, opening it and moving the dog along the floor. It didn't even move, and Sabo might have thought it was dead had it not looked at him and given a single pant before closing its eyes again. He and the others stepped inside.

The tavern was warm and filled with people of all calibers and sizes, sitting around and chatting amongst each other. Not a one hardly spared the odd group a glance except for a plump little lady holding a broom, who came right up to them.

"Good evening, strangers, come on in," she said with a friendly smile. "This rain is awful, ain't it?"

"Evening, ma'am," Nami said, slinking around Sabo's legs and sitting as she looked up at the lady. "I'm afraid we're a little lost. Can you give us directions to—"

She shrieked as the lady hit her with her broom.

"No cats in here, you mangy thing!" the lady snapped. "You'll scare the poor old dog!"

The dog was fast asleep.

"I'll stay out of his way!" Nami hissed. "We just need—" She was struck again. "_Ow!" _

"I said get out, you feline fiend!" the lady cried. "And don't forget your friend!" She pointed to Brook, who was stooping to accommodate the ceiling. He pointed to himself questioningly. "That bad omen will scare away my customers, you fools!"

"Nami, can you please wait outside?" Ace said. "And Brook, too? We'll ask for directions on our own."

"But—!"

"There was a stable with a roof," Sabo said, trying to placate her. "At least you'll be out of the rain."

"Fine!" Nami turned tail and trotted out the door. Brook looked at Luffy.

"Sorry, but Ace says you have to go, too," Luffy said. "Can you keep Nami company? We'll be out soon."

Brook nodded and followed Nami out the door. Ace and Sabo took seats by the window while Luffy ran off to the bar to get food.

"Who are you three kids, anyway?" the lady who had chased out their friends said. "Bringing bad omens here . . ."

Nami jumped up onto the windowsill outside. She shook water off herself and settled down, glancing in. She saw Ace and Sabo and rolled her eyes. Brook came to stand next to her, staring wistfully inside.

"My name's Sabo, and these are my brothers, Ace and Luffy," Sabo said. Luffy waved from the bar.

"That's nice, but that's not what I asked. I asked you: _who _are you?"

"Who—? I'm Sabo, and . . . what do you mean?"

"There is the butcher, the baker, and of course the chandler," the lady said, pointing to a stocky man, a short man, and a thin man in turn. "The midwife, master, apprentice—" A sallow-faced woman and a stern man with a child on a rope— "Tailor, and dollmaker—" A man softly weeping by candlelight and a chuckling man by the fireplace— "And I am the tavernkeeper. So, again, who are you?"

"I'm the traveller," Ace said.

"I'm hungry," Luffy called.

"I'm also the traveller," Sabo said.

"You cannot be the traveller when he is already," the tavernkeeper scolded. Sabo glared at Ace, who smiled and shrugged. "You have to be independent. So, again, who are you?"

"Well, uh—"

"I'm the highwayman," said a voice to her right. A short man with stubble and typical burglar's clothing stared at Sabo.

"Okay, that's great," Sabo said. "I dunno, maybe I'm an anar—"

"I'm the highwayman," the man repeated, and he was suddenly too close for comfort. Sabo stepped back and wrapped his cape around his shoulders. "I make ends meet, boy, just like any man. I work with my hands, and if you cross my path, I'll knock you out. I'll steal your shoes from off your feet right there. I'm the highwayman, and I make ends meet."

"Oh, boy," Sabo said under his breath, sitting down as the tavern applauded.

Outside, Nami's fur was fluffed up against the cold. She felt something and she swivelled her head to look at Brook, who was petting her.

"_Don't," _she hissed. Brook clasped his hands behind his back, whistling. She sighed and stared out into the woods.

"What is that?" she murmured. A light shone from the trees and a faint voice was heard, along with the distinct sound of an axe. "Who goes out to the woods to chop trees at this time of night?"

Brook shrugged. She looked at him again. "How were you whistling? You don't have any lips."

Brook's jaw swung open and a chilling sound emerged as he trembled.

Inside, Sabo and Ace were starting up an argument.

"So?" Ace said.

"So?" Sabo repeated.

"Go ask for directions."

"You do it."

"Why me?" Sabo said as Luffy returned with three platefuls of food. He sat down and dug into one.

"Because I'm not lost, you are."

"Shut your mouth, you are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Then where are we?"

"We're in a tavern."

"And where do we go from here?"

"To get to where Nami wants to go? That I don't know."

"So you're lost."

"Am not. Go ask for directions. At least these people don't have axes."

Sabo sighed and stood, eyes darting around the tavern. He spotted a jolly-looking fellow by the fireplace—the dollmaker—painting wooden dolls. With a deep breath, he crossed the tavern, reached the dollmaker, and cleared his throat.

"Hello, sorry to interrupt," he said when the dollmaker looked up. "We could use some directions. We're trying to get to someone named Adelaide, and—"

"So it's a girl you're after, eh?" the dollmaker said, nudging him. "You're more than meets the eye!"

"What? That's not even—"

"Now why didn't you tell us, lad?" the dollmaker exclaimed, standing and dusting off Sabo's shoulders. "You are the young lover!"

"That couldn't be farther off the mark. I just—"

"Don't be shy, lover, tell us all," the baker yelled from across the room. "What is she like, this girl?"

"Does her beauty outshine the flame?" said the chandler.

"Tall and thin? Short and stout?" called the baker.

The butcher grabbed Sabo in a headlock before he could escape. "What is her favorite kind of meal?" he said with a toothy grin. "How does she salt her meat?"

"You simply can't be dressed like that, not on your wedding day," the tailor said, drying his tears and standing. He strode over to Sabo and whipped out a measuring tape while the butcher released him. Sabo rubbed his neck and tried to bat away the tailor's insistent hands. "What will she think of this outfit? And oh, what of your shoes?"

"I'm not getting married!" Sabo exclaimed. "And what's wrong with my shoes?!"

"These scuffs are most horrendous, boy," said a man who must have been the cobbler. He tapped on one of Sabo's boots with a small hammer. "She'll flee at the altar!"

Sabo shot Ace a glare, but Ace only gave him a thumbs-up from the table.

"You not gonna eat those?" he asked Luffy, who was studying his other two plates of food.

"I'll get more for me in a second," Luffy decided. He pushed a plate to Ace. "This one's for you n' Sabo." He opened the window and set the third plate on the windowsill. "And this one's for you guys!"

"Thanks," Nami said grudgingly, snatching up a slice of ham in her mouth.

Ace stared at Luffy, who noticed and stared back. "What?"

"You're a good kid," Ace said, shoving Luffy's hat down over his eyes. Luffy lifted it up and scowled.

"How's it going in there?" Nami said, swallowing her ham while Brook ate pieces of corn one-by-one.

"Um," Luffy said, looking at Sabo, who was trying to escape the cheering crowd with little success. "Pretty good?"

Nami made a noise of disgust. "You guys are hopeless after all." She spotted the light in the woods again. "Say, didn't that woodcutter from before have a lantern? I bet that's him there in the forest."

Ace and Luffy ignored her, having turned their attention back to Sabo to cheer him on, so Nami looked at Brook. "You wait here," she said. "I'll go talk to that guy and ask if he knows the way. He probably knows these woods better than anybody, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, she leapt down from the windowsill and bounded away into the trees and towards the light. A puff of air escaped Brook's teeth and he folded his hands, looking wistfully inside.

Sabo managed to extricate himself from the crowd and made his way back to the table, sitting next to Ace. "Some help you were," he said with a scowl, taking a piece of broccoli from the plate.

"You were doing fine on your own," Ace said. "Besides, you need to be more self-reliant."

"What do you mean?"

"You know," Ace said, shooting him a look. "If it's just you and Luffy—"

"But you're here," Sabo said. "You're _here," _he repeated.

"Hey, traveller! Why don't you share—" The chandler slammed down his mug as he spoke— "Some of your worldly tales?"

"Oh, please, tell us of your travels!" called the tailor with a sob. "We could do with a tale!"

"Travels, huh?" Ace said, rubbing his chin. He looked at Sabo and Luffy. "How about the stuff I've done with my brothers recently?"

"Yeah, tell 'em about the play!" Luffy exclaimed.

"That's right! We put on a play to help save an orphanage!" Ace said. The tavern whooped and cheered.

"And we met a village of people wearing pumpkins!" Luffy said, dangling a spoon from his nose. The baker and butcher nodded in approval.

"And . . . and we met this woodcutter who told us which way to go so we could avoid . . ." Sabo waved his fingers. "_The Beast." _

At this, a hush fell over the tavern. Glasses clinked and chairs shuffled.

"Oh, you've heard of the Beast before?" Sabo said, lowering his hands.

"We all know the Beast, you poor boy, you must have no idea," the tavernkeeper murmured as the wind outside whistled. "He lurks out there, in the Unknown, and seeks those far from home . . . and hopes with all his heart of coal that you'll never return."

Sabo gulped as the tavern murmured amongst themselves, casting frightened looks in the direction of the woods outside.

"Lover, you would best beware," the tavernkeeper continued, her high-pitched voice no longer charming in the dimming lights of the building and the storm outside. "Be wary of the Beast. Oh, yes, don't you believe his lies—keep your wits about you. For once your will begins to spoil, he'll warp you to a tree, and grind your bones into the oil he burns in his lantern."

"Lantern?" Sabo repeated. He looked at Ace. "That lantern the woodcutter was carrying did look weird, didn't it?"

"It did," Ace agreed. "But . . ."

"I'd like to tell you otherwise, but the fates have spoken," the tavernkeeper sighed. "The bearer of the Dark Lantern must be the Beast himself."

"No . . . no way. Right?" Sabo said, looking at Ace again while Luffy played with the scraps of his meal. "He gave us directions. He was trying to help."

"And now you're more lost than ever, aren't you, you poor lover?" the tavernkeeper sighed.

"I guess so . . . hey, I don't suppose you all can give us some directions?" Sabo said, perking up.

"You need neither map nor compass," said the apprentice, looking up at Sabo. He was almost Luffy's height. "Your heart will lead the way."

"Um . . . no, I really think we need directions," Sabo said, shifting.

A faint scream came from the forest and Sabo, Ace, and Luffy jolted and looked around.

"W—Was that Nami?" Sabo exclaimed. "Where did it come from? Wasn't she just outside?" He stood. "Guys, come on, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

He hurried out the tavern door after nudging the dog aside.

"I say, he's not the young lover," the dollmaker said with a dawning look of wonder on his jolly face. "No, that's not him at all!"

"With clothes like that, and headstrong, too," the midwife croaked. "You're right—he's something else."

"Willing to bring change to his fate, and change to others, too," the tailor sobbed.

The master stood. "A man like that deserves this name—"

"Revolutionary!" the tavern chorused together.

"Go help your brother, traveller!" the tavernkeeper cheered as Ace picked up Luffy. "One's not much good alone!"

"That's great," Ace said. "Before we do, though . . ."

* * *

"Where's Nami?" Sabo demanded, reaching Brook. Brook shrugged and pointed to the woods, where the lantern light glowed faintly.

"Why'd she go there?!" Sabo exclaimed. He seized the lantern by the door and ran for the woods, pulling his cape around him. A minute later, Ace, Luffy, and Brook caught up with him.

"Is Nami in here?" Luffy asked, riding on Brook's shoulder.

"Brook said she was," Sabo said. "She must've been after the woodcutter, but if he's—"

He drew up short, making Ace bump into him and Brook into Ace. The woodcutter Cobra stood there, his axe in one hand and the lantern in his other, and at the base of a tree with warped wood lay—

"Nami?" Ace said. She didn't stir.

"So you're the Beast, after all?" Sabo said to Cobra. Cobra's face constricted, but at that moment Sabo blew out the lantern and ran forward. Cobra shone his lantern around the trees, but they were gone.

Brook ran as fast as his feet would carry him. On his shoulder rode Luffy, tucked under one arm was Ace, and tucked under the other was Sabo, holding Nami.

"Who knew you could run this fast, you bag of bones?" Ace said with a friendly grin. Brook threatened to drop him even as his jaw fell open and a ghostly sound echoed within.

"I _told _you, he's the best!" Luffy exclaimed.

Sabo looked down in the darkness as Nami stirred. "Nami?" he said. "You okay?"

"Yeah . . . Sabo? Luffy? Ace?" She squinted. "Brook?"

"What happened?"

"I was looking for the woodcutter, and I saw a weird shape, and I . . ." She shifted in Sabo's arms, embarrassed. "I ran into a tree and knocked myself out."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Nami squirmed and removed herself from Sabo's grip, climbing up instead to sit on Brook's other shoulder. As they emerged from the trees, the rain let up, and the clouds parted. The moon illuminated their path, and Brook slowed to a halt, setting down Ace and Sabo.

"Thanks for your help there," Sabo said with a grudging nod. "Luffy, you good up there?"

"Uh-huh," Luffy said, resting against Brook's hair.

"So we're all safe," Sabo said. "But we're still lost."

"Not anymore," Ace said. "Luffy and I got directions from the people back there before we caught up with you."

"What? Why was it so easy for you?"

"I'm more charming, obviously." Ace gave the directions to Nami, who nodded and jumped off Brook's shoulder to lead the way. "By the way, they also gave you a title. According to them, you're a revolutionary."

"A revolutionary . . ." Sabo grinned as he walked. "I like it. It sounds more formal than what I was thinking of."

"Don't start bringing about change in the world just yet," Ace said, glancing at Luffy. "Try changing yourself first and see if you can handle it."

"What? Is now the time to be spouting wisdom?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Get a move on."

* * *

Cobra lifted his lantern, staring after where the group had disappeared. He sighed and set it down to better shift the pile of wood upon his back.

"You're running out of oil, aren't you?" came a deep voice from behind him. If the source was unknown, it might have been soothing, but the voice belonged to a shadow with mirror-eyes looming in the trees. "Let me take the lantern for a while, woodcutter."

"Away with ye!" Cobra exclaimed, turning to face the shadow with anger etched in his face. "This lantern is mine alone to bear! I fought you for it once, and I'll fight you again if I must!"

"There's no need for violence," the voice said, placating. "But do be sure to keep the lantern lit, or your daughter's flame will be forever extinguished." Cobra cast a look inside the glass, his hand shaking. "Now, I wonder if you could tell me where those children went?"

"They have nothing to do with me or you!" Cobra cried, his brow furrowing in anger again. "You leave them alone!"

The shadow melted away, his laughter echoing through the trees.

"_Beast!" _roared Cobra, but he was gone, the whispers of a song the only bit of him remaining.


	5. Endicott Manor

The balding man in the smoking jacket laughed far too loudly and slapped his hands on the ornate table. "Tea! that's my trade! Quincy Endicott's Health Tea! Good for all sorts of ailments!"

"That sounds really good!" Luffy exclaimed, stuffing his face with food. He was sitting next to Ace, who was sitting next to Sabo, who sat next to Nami, who sat next to Brook. None of them seemed inclined to eat, despite the meal set out in front of them.

"Oh, I hate tea, myself," the man sitting at the head of the table, Quincy Endicott, said. He put his feet up on the table, smashing his plate in the process. "It's all for the money! The lavish riches that take my mind off, of my many troubles, the deep, soul-crushing things, that torment my soul! For instance, every time I expand, my mansion, I feel more and more, lost, and lonely, in body and mind . . . why!" he exclaimed, slamming a fist onto the table and breaking another piece of his plate. "This mansion, is so big, I sometimes don't know where, or _who, _I am!"

"Yeah, uh-huh," Nami said. "I'm sure glad your _nephews _here could come visit. Right?"

"Right," Ace said, covering Luffy's mouth before he could protest. "Thanks so much for having us . . . _Uncle _Quincy."

"Not at all, m'boy, not at all! It's a perfect pleasure to have company! Yes, a perfect pleasure indeed!"

"Perfect pleasure!" Luffy echoed, chewing on his fork.

"Yes, a perfect pleasure!" Endicott seized Luffy's hands and yanked him up onto the table, dancing around and getting mud on the tablecloth. "A perfect pleasure, what a perfect pleasure!"

"Why are we doing this?" Sabo whispered to Nami.

"We need money," Nami whispered back.

"We're going to rob him? Awesome. What are we after here?"

"We need to pay passage on the ferry to get to Adelaide's," Nami whispered as Endicott flung Luffy up and onto his shoulders, jumping down from the table and seizing the candelabra. "If we can pretend I'm just a cat and Brook's not alive, we'll only need three cents, one for each of you."

"Oh. That's all?" Sabo squinted at her. "You _are _just a cat."

"Come, come!" Endicott cried with Luffy on his shoulders. "Come to my parlor, and let us bask in my excessive and unnecessary wealth!"

"If I wasn't convinced before," Sabo said under his breath, standing.

"Just take whatever you can fit in your pockets," Ace advised, clapping him on the back as he and Brook stood, and Nami jumped off her chair. They followed Endicott and Luffy into a lavish parlor, where Endicott set Luffy down and didn't seem to notice or care that they were tracking mud onto the rug.

"Behold, my wealth!" Endicott cried. Nami eyed the ornate vases on the mantle of the crackling fireplace. "Eh—what? Did someone say something?"

"No?" Ace said, looking around.

"Pardon me, nephew, it's my nerves, my nerves, they're all atwitter these days."

"Why's that?" Luffy asked, staring up at him. Brook stood at Luffy's side.

Endicott's eyes widened and he began to perspire. "Yes, maybe I should, talk to someone," he agreed, nodding rapidly. Sabo and Ace glanced at each other, unnerved, and Nami looked up from her vase-watching. "You see, it all began one day, when I was exploring my mansion, and I came across a section of the house I couldn't recall building, isn't that funny? It was in one room that I saw, a painting, a painting, of the most beautiful . . . the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and ever since then, you see, I see her around the corner, and out of the corner of my eye, and in the corners of rooms . . . she consumes, my every waking and dreaming thought, and that is how, nephew, I fell in love, with, a ghost."

He sighed, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief while Brook jumped and placed a hand in front of Luffy, gently inching him backwards. "I must sound out of my mind, mustn't I? Perhaps you do not want to spend time with someone like me, perhaps it is time, for you, to leave my home of riches and gold?"

"No!" Sabo, Nami, and Ace exclaimed. Endicott looked up, startled.

"Yeah, I wanna see the ghost painting!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Ah, yes," Endicott said, licking his lips. "Perhaps . . . yes, I also wish to see her, to gaze upon, her visage, if only once more . . ."

"To the painting!" Luffy cheered.

"Yes, yes!" Endicott exclaimed. As he and Luffy started for the hall, he stopped and turned. "And you, my dear boys, what will you do?"

Brook clutched his chest, steeled himself, and went to Luffy's side again. Nami was preoccupied with the vases on the mantle, and Sabo looked up and said, "What? Oh, I guess . . . I dunno."

Ace rolled his eyes. "I'll go with Luffy," he said, shooting a look at Sabo.

"Have fun, then, we'll guard the parlor," Sabo said. Ace sighed and shuffled Luffy off as Endicott led them out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight, Sabo went to the vases and pushed one over.

"Hey!" Nami hissed, leaping down to knock it so it wouldn't shatter. "What are you doing?!"

"We're looking for change, right?" Sabo said, pushing another vase.

"Right! So why are you breaking perfectly good vases?!"

"Like he couldn't stand to have a little less excess?"

"But we could take them for ourselves and sell them!"

"Do I _look _like I have room to carry a vase on me? And you're a cat. Where are you going to carry anything?"

"Screw you! We don't have to make a mess, you know! What if he comes back?"

"Then I'll throw a vase at his head and we'll make our escape."

Several minutes passed before Nami could convince Sabo not to break anything else, though she couldn't fix the two vases he'd already shattered, or clean up the mud he was now tracking deliberately.

"All that for nothing," Nami sighed when they'd finished scouring the room. Her eyes lit up and she trotted over to a wardrobe. "What about this armoire?"

"The wardrobe? Sure," Sabo said, going over to it. He seized its sides.

"I didn't mean _smash _it!" Nami hissed, leaping out of the way. "Look inside! There's probably clothes with pockets full of change!"

"Oh, right." Sabo released the wardrobe and opened it. "Let's see . . ."

A tapping came from somewhere and they froze. Sabo dove inside the wardrobe with Nami close behind, and the door slammed shut behind them. Outside, one of Endicott's many peacocks tapped once, twice, thrice more against the glass before it strutted away.

* * *

"Is that the painting?"

"No."

"Is that the painting?"

"No. Look—" Endicott stopped and looked at Luffy. "Why don't I just _tell _you when we reach the painting?"

"Okay. Is _that _the—"

"Say, Uncle Quincy, you seem tense," Ace said. Endicott was at the head of the group, with Luffy and Brook just behind him and Ace bringing up the rear. "How are you holding up?"

"You know me well, nephew," Endicott sighed, coming to a halt again and lowering the candelabra. "I confess, I am frightened."

"Of what? The ghost?" Luffy exclaimed. "But ghosts are cool."

Brook shook his head, shuddering.

"Not of the ghost, particularly, dear boy! I am afraid, what if, there is no ghost? What if I am, on the, on the, on, the, brink, of, madness?"

He stood stock-still for a moment, and then whirled around. "Perhaps the doctors were right. Come, let us return to the parlor."

"Whoa, not just yet," Ace said, blocking his path. "There's nothing interesting in the parlor, right? Definitely not anyone . . . after your money . . ."

He and Endicott stared at each other. Brook gave him a "What was that?" look behind Endicott's back.

"Yeah, come on!" Luffy exclaimed. "Don't give up! It's a ghost for sure!"

"How can you know that?" Endicott said even as he turned and started walking again.

"Because I _really _wanna see a ghost!"

"Oh, I see . . ."

Brook shuddered again, his bones rattling.

* * *

"I think he's gone," Sabo whispered in the darkness of the wardrobe. "Nami? Are you there?"

"Yes, idiot!" Nami hissed. "Start looking for change!"

"Okay!" Sabo waved his hands around and seized some fabric, feeling the coats up and down. "Uh . . . I don't think these coats have pockets."

"Check the lining. Maybe someone sewed money into it."

"Good idea." Sabo felt along the edges of the coats. "Hm . . . no dice. So, do you sew?"

"A little bit."

"What am I saying, you're a—" Sabo stopped himself and looked in her general direction. "You sew? How?"

"You know, I take a needle and thread and—"

"I mean, you're a cat. You don't even wear clothes."

"I did it when I was a human, stupid!"

"Oh." Sabo squinted. "You used to be human? Did you tell us? Why didn't you tell us?"

"That's not important! Keep looking!"

Sabo checked over the coats one more time before trying the door.

"It's stuck," he announced after pushing and pulling to no avail. "Guess we're stuck, too. Looks like we're spending some time together."

Nami screamed.

* * *

"And here, is my greenhouse," Endicott announced, leading Luffy, Brook, and Ace into a sweltering glass building. Plants covered every corner and side and sometimes the walls. "Where I grow my prized camellia for my prize-winning tea! Why don't we stop and bask in the calming fragrance for a moment?"

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Luffy copied him, and Brook copied Luffy, and Ace kept his eyes open as he pretended to copy them.

Shattering glass shattered their calm. Endicott screamed and fell to the floor, and Brook's jaw fell open and a ghostly shriek echoed within as he and Ace jumped in front of Luffy. But it was only a white peacock that had disturbed the silence, and now strutted around the stone floor, quite pleased with itself.

"Hey, mister?" Luffy said as Ace and Brook relaxed. "It's just a pterodactyl."

"The 'P' is silent," Ace whispered.

"That doesn't make any sense. They should just leave it out."

"Yes . . . yes, of course, one of my lovelies," Endicott said, sitting up from where he'd curled into a ball. "I fear I've been forgetting to feed them lately. It's almost as if I'm, losing, my, mind?"

He sat up and straightened his hat. "No matter. To the painting . . ."

"To the painting!" Luffy echoed. Ace and Brook followed him and Endicott, Brook reluctantly, and each of them took one of Luffy's hands, eyeing Endicott warily.

* * *

"Give it up already," Nami said when Sabo tried and failed yet again to knock over the wardrobe from the inside.

"It might be nailed to the floor or something," Sabo said, sitting against the sideboard reluctantly. "I mean, I'm pretty strong, and even I can't do anything."

"Show-off," Nami said under her breath.

"So, while we're here . . . how did you become a cat?"

"How did you become so nosy?"

"Answer the question."

"Hold up, what was that?"

"Nami . . ."

Nami got up and stuck her head against the back part of the wardrobe. "I feel a draft," she said. "There might be a secret entrance."

"Hey, yeah!" Sabo knelt by the board and felt around until his fingernails caught on something. He yanked and a piece of wood clattered loose. Nami jumped through and Sabo followed, scooting himself feet-first through the small hole.

"Phew," he said. He peered around the faintly-lit stone room and found the light coming from an unlit fireplace, which they viewed from the backside. "A secret exit . . . of course. Typical of a rich man to have some means of escape or hiding when the peasants revolt. You know, the French monarchy used them during the French Revolution."

"Fascinating. Can we go?"

"How about you tell me your secret first?" Sabo said, casually blocking the exit.

"How about you tell me yours?"

"I don't want to."

"Talk about avoiding the question."

"I asked you first."

Nami paced in circles and finally sat in the corner of the room. "Fine. I kicked a cat, it cursed me and my family, and now we're all cats. Are you happy?"

Sabo stared at her, taken aback. "Your . . . whole family?"

"Yes." Nami settled down, lowering her head to rest on the floor. "I promised myself I wouldn't face them again until I found out how to fix things."

"Oh." Sabo looked down, running his fingers along the stone wall. "Is that why you want to see Adelaide?"

"That was, yeah. But now . . . I don't know. I just . . . I'd do anything to get them back, but . . ."

Sabo sighed when she didn't continue, and he stared up at the ceiling. "My turn, then?" he said. He removed his hat and twirled his hair around one finger. "I think my friends . . . hate me."

"Oh?"

"A few months . . . maybe half a year ago, something . . . happened, and Luffy and I were out of school for a couple weeks," Sabo explained, his gaze trained on the ceiling stained with smoke. "Even when I came back, I couldn't bring myself to talk to them, or anyone. Recently I've been thinking about them, and . . . I don't know. I want to say sorry, but . . . it might be too late."

"If they're really your friends, they'll understand," Nami said. She gestured to the fireplace and Sabo climbed through first, moving the log-holder so she could move with ease. "Whatever it was that made you avoid them, if they're good people, I'm sure they'll forgive you."

"I dunno," Sabo said wearily, putting back the log-holder and straightening as he dusted ash off of himself. "I haven't felt like myself, not since all that, and I don't know what I'm missi—does this room look different to you?"

"How so?" Nami said, looking around. She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe . . ."

"I don't know how to describe it," Sabo said, rubbing his chin as he studied the high ceilings. "But it's like . . . a different style than that other room. You'd think a guy like Endicott would keep his fashion tastes uniform, right?"

"Unless . . . it wasn't Endicott who built this?" Nami suggested.

"Maybe," Sabo agreed. His eyes widened. "Wait, he mentioned a ghost. What if that's—oh no. My brothers—!"

* * *

"The room fast approaches, my dear boys," Endicott said as the group walked down the cool hallway. He began to perspire heavily as they stopped in front of the door. "This, is it."

Luffy ran ahead, dragging Ace and Brook with him, and looked around at the fancy room, and the canopied bed. He frowned. "But this is just a bedroom."

"It is not, _just, _a bedroom," Endicott said, wiping his brow with his handkerchief. Brook patted his own forehead in relief. "This, is _the _room, the room where I first saw _her, _and that painting, the painting which, hangs above us even now . . ."

His eyes travelled up to the painting of the woman in blue, her hair piled high upon her head. Luffy looked at it and said, "But I don't see a ghost."

"Then, it is true," Endicott said, adjusting his silk hat. "I am, after all . . . mad."

"Don't be mad! I'm sure we'll find a ghost soon!"

Brook tugged on Luffy's hand. When this failed to get a response, he tapped Ace instead, and pointed to something on the floor: A serving table on its side, an upended silver kettle, and several small teacups surrounded by dark stains on the rug.

"Excuse me . . . Uncle Quincy?" Ace said, pulling Luffy backwards with him, farther away from the doorway where Endicott stood. "Where did that mess come from? It looks like some kind of fight happened."

Endicott scowled, holding up the candelabra and taking a few steps into the room. "Just what are you implying?"

"Oh, nothing," Ace said. "Except that maybe you're not the real owner of this mansion."

"How _dare _you," Endicott hissed, advancing on them with a cold fury on his face. Ace and Brook shifted to stand in front of Luffy, who tried to peer around them. "My money, is _mine! _Do you know, what I've _done _for this money, what these, _filthy _hands, have—? You're after my fortune, aren't you?! You want my money!"

"Luffy, get ready to run," Ace said under his breath, but at that moment, a sound came from the hallway, and all the fury drained from Endicott's face, replaced with abject terror.

"It is she!" he cried, whirling around. "The ghost, that haunts my days!"

To Ace's shock, it was indeed the woman from the painting who appeared in the doorway, her brown hair piled high on her head and her blue dress complementing her eyes.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, seeing Endicott.

"Oh!" Endicott exclaimed, seeing her.

Both fainted dead away.

"Hey," Sabo said, entering the room with Nami at his heels. He stepped over the woman and approached Ace, Luffy, and Brook. "What's going on?"

"Who is that lady?" Ace demanded, picking up Luffy and holding him close. Brook had covered his mouth when the woman had appeared, and now lowered his hands, realizing she was solid.

"Hi, Sabo!" Luffy yelled.

"No idea," Nami said.

"At first, I thought Endicott had murdered the real owner of this place," Sabo admitted, "but then Nami and I bumped into her looking for you and I changed my mind. But still, what's going on?"

"Maybe they'll know," Ace said as Endicott and the woman stirred.

"Spirit!" Endicott cried, his eyes flying open as he scrambled away from the woman. "Haunting my home—!"

"_Your _home? Good spirit, you're in _my _home," the woman said, drawing herself up with an affronted look.

"Eh?" Endicott said.

* * *

"Look," the woman said. Everyone was back in the sweltering greenhouse. Ace had set down Luffy again, having deemed the situation safe. The woman drew back some vines and pointed to a plaque. "This is my name, my _brand, _right here. 'Margueritte Grey Tea Co.'"

"But, look!" Endicott cried. He hurried to the adjacent wall and pulled back more vines. "'Quincy Endicott Health Tea!'"

"You've got to be kidding me," Sabo said, incredulous. "Did you both expand your mansions so much that they connected? _Nobody _should have that much money!"

"Sabo, drop it," Ace whispered.

"Do you mean to say," Grey said, advancing on Endicott, "that that dashing specter was just . . ."

Endicott advanced on Grey. "That beautiful ghost was just . . ."

"My business competitor?" they finished together, and kissed. Sabo rolled his eyes, Ace covered Luffy's eyes and pretended to vomit, and Brook clasped his hands together, tilting his head.

* * *

"Thank you so very much, my dear, dear nephews," Endicott said at the front gate. He and Grey had come to see off the brothers, Nami, and Brook. "You've brought us together and saved me from madness." He pulled out a penny from his pocket. "You, boy, hold out your hand. A gift from me." He placed the penny in Luffy's hand.

"And one from me," Grey said, placing a penny of her own into Luffy's palm. He stared at the coins, surprised.

"Hey, nice going," Sabo said, nudging him.

"Many safe travels to you!" Endicott called as they set off again.

"And don't forget to drink plenty of tea!" Grey called.

"We needed three coins, but this is fine," Nami said. Luffy studied the pennies as they walked down the hill. "Sabo, nice going back there, by the way."

"Really?" Sabo said, brightening.

"Yeah. I underestimated you."

"How're we gonna get by with only two coins?" Ace mused. "I suppose I could hide Luffy under my shirt."

"Can he fit inside your ribcage?" Sabo asked Brook. Brook glared at Sabo and drew his shirt closer to him. "Okay, sorry! What if—Luffy?"

Luffy had run to the side of the path. He stopped, pulled back his arm, and threw the coins into the hedges.

"_Luffy!" _Ace, Sabo, and Nami yelled. Luffy turned around, startled.

"What did you do that for?!" Sabo exclaimed, staring despondently into the hedges.

"You guys were saying we needed three coins!" Luffy exclaimed. "We only had two! I thought it didn't matter!"

"It's okay," Ace said quickly. "It's okay, just . . . talk to us before you throw something we might need, okay?"

"Okay," Luffy said, pouting. "I'm sorry."

Brook held out his hands, offering to carry him, but Ace took up the job again instead, setting Luffy on his shoulder.

"Rich people are cheapskates, anyway," Sabo said as they started walking again. "We wouldn't have gotten another cent out of them."


	6. Adelaide Parade

The ferry cruised down the lazy river and leaves floated past Sabo's face as he watched the fields go by them, smiling and enjoying the view. Behind him, Luffy danced with Brook, and next to him, Ace was leaning against the railing, keeping an eye on Luffy and the rest of the boat. Nami perched on the railing on his other side, staring into the distance. Surrounding them were bipedal frogs, the only other passengers, who wore clothing that belonged in the 19th century and who spoke to each other in croaks and bellows. Half a dozen frogs sat on a raised platform, tuning instruments.

"We're really almost there, huh?" Sabo said, breaking the silence. "This is a nice way to spend our last day here. Right, Ace?"

"Right," Ace said, giving him an odd look.

"I mean . . . we're finally going home," Sabo said, looking at Ace. "We don't have to see that woodcutter Mr. Cobra, or the Beast or whoever—and Nami won't have to put up with us anymore," he added. "Right, Nami? Bet you're happy about that."

"Huh?" Nami said, startled. "Oh . . . yeah. Sure."

Sabo frowned, but at that moment Luffy burst into song.

"Oh . . . we're going to the pasture, to meet Adelaide, and ask her, if she has a way to send us back where we came from!" he sang as he danced in circles with Brook. This time, Ace and Sabo joined in.

"I don't know who she is, or how she is, or when or why she is, but as for where she is, she is where we will go!" all three sang while Brook clapped along. Sabo and Ace grabbed Luffy's hands, and they danced in a circle. "To Adelaide, to Adelaide! Come on and join the Adelaide parade! Adelaide, to Adelaide! We're going to Adelaide's house today!"

Sabo and Ace let go of Luffy's hands, laughing, and Sabo looked at Nami, but she still stared wistfully into the distance.

"Ace?" Sabo said as Luffy grabbed Brook's hands again, trying to do a partner dance with him while Brook obligingly tried to follow Luffy's erratic rhythm. "Does Nami seem kind of off to you?"

"A bit, yeah," Ace said. "She won't tell you what's up?"

"No. Maybe she'll actually be sad to be rid of us. Think that's possible?"

"Maybe. Nami?"

"Huh?" Nami said, looking around to Ace. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. I'm just . . . thinking."

Before Ace and Sabo could press her further, a whistle caught their attention. Two frogs wearing uniforms were approaching them from the other side of the ship, scowls on their faces.

"Uh-oh," Sabo muttered, tensing.

"Do you think they want to dance with us?" Luffy asked.

"No, I think they want to kick us off because we snuck on without paying," Nami said.

"We didn't have a choice!" Sabo exclaimed. "There were too many frogs to beat up all at once, and Luffy threw our money away!" He pointed to Luffy as the frogs drew closer. "He's the one you want!"

Brook grabbed Luffy's hand, and he, Ace, Sabo, and Nami fled with the frogs in hot pursuit. They ran around the portside, knocking over a few passengers on their way, and skittered around the corner of the bow, circling back around the side and running into an open door, slamming it behind them.

"What do we do?" Ace whispered, holding the door shut from the inside while the frogs outside rattled the knob.

"We should turn ourselves in," Nami whispered, her fur still fluffed up. "We shouldn't have come on without paying. This is our retribution and we should accept it."

"What? No, we shouldn't," Sabo whispered. He looked around and picked up a large bell missing its clapper, weighing it in his hands. "Open the door, and I'll knock them out with this. We'll hide them in here and mingle with the crowd again. No problem."

"Sounds good," Ace said. "Luffy, stay back." Brook and Luffy moved back. "Three . . . two . . . one!"

He swung the door open, and Sabo swung the bell back, but they froze. The frogs facing them were holding three instruments: A trombone, a drum and mallet, and a trumpet.

"What's this about?" Sabo said.

One of the frogs bellowed and beckoned. Sabo reluctantly put down the bell, and he and the others followed the frogs out. The frog pointed to them, and then the instruments, and then the band still warming up.

"You . . . want us to play in the band?" Ace said. Luffy and Brook lit up, looking at each other. "In exchange for passage?"

The frogs croaked a confirmation.

"That's a pretty good deal," Sabo said, taking the trombone. "I suppose they couldn't really throw us off, anyway. If they did it here, they'd have to drown . . ."

Rolling shock cold water dark lungs breathe water lungs breathe breathe breathe

"Sabo?"

Sabo started and looked up at Ace. Somehow, the five of them had ended up on the stage.

"You okay?" Ace said, removing his hand from his shoulder and frowning even as Luffy spun in circles, drumming his drum and laughing. "You zoned out there."

"I . . . yeah, I'm fine," Sabo said, adjusting his hat. "Nami, are you gonna join us?"

"Do I _look _like I can play an instrument?" She narrowed her eyes. "Can you even play the trombone?"

"Uh . . . no," Sabo admitted. "I can read sheet music, though. I'm hoping these frogs and Ace are good enough to drown me out."

"I used to play the trumpet," Ace explained to Nami.

"You should play as loud as you can," Nami said to Sabo innocently. "Have some confidence."

"Seriously, no one wants that. I—what's Brook doing?"

Nami sighed and trotted off the stage, going to sit by the railing while Brook made his way to the front, standing in front of the conductor.

"He looks like he's going to sing," Ace whispered as the band settled down and the audience held their collective breath.

"I figured he'd play his bones like a xylophone or something," Sabo whispered back. "What? That's what skeletons in cartoons do."

The band started playing and Sabo and Ace panicked, looking at their sheet music to catch up. Sabo placed the trombone to his lips and it emitted a squeak. He winced and side-eyed Ace, who was playing his trumpet part with ease. Behind them, Luffy was drumming in his own Luffy way.

Brook's jaw opened and he began to sing.

"_Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-ho-ho-ho . . ." _

Ace and Sabo stared at each other out of the corners of their eyes, both asking, _Did you know he could do that? No, did you? No!, _and behind them, Luffy laughed in delight, staring at Brook with wonder in his eyes.

"_Gather up all o' the crew," _Brook sang, his stunning tenor carrying throughout the ferry without need of a microphone. "_It's time to ship out Binks' Brew . . ." _

Sabo got the hang of the trombone, or at least enough to play two notes. Ace kept up his work with the trumpet, and Luffy continued drumming in his own way, now distracted by Brook's singing.

"This is amazing," Sabo whispered to Ace during a break. He licked his lips and wiped his mouth on his shirt. "Also, how did you ever put up with this? My mouth feels horrible."

"I dunno. Practice. Luffy's doing pretty good, isn't he?"

"He hasn't gotten us in trouble again, so, yeah. Pretty good." Nonetheless, Sabo smiled back at Luffy.

"Our part's coming up again," Ace said, nudging him. They lifted their instruments and played, finishing off the song with cheery notes despite the bittersweet tone of the lyrics, which Brook ended with a flourish:

"_After all is said and done, we all end up skeletons,  
So spread your tale from dawn to dusk upon these foamy seas!" _

Brook bowed as the band's final note echoed throughout the riverbanks and the frogs applauded. Luffy dropped his drum, ran to the front of the stage, and hugged Brook's leg.

* * *

Before they knew it, the sun was setting and the ferry was pulling up next to the pasture. The boarding ramp was lowered, and the frogs descended in pairs.

"What're they doing?" Luffy asked, leaning over the railing. Ace gently pulled him backwards by his shirt.

"Hibernating . . . in the mud, looks like," Nami said, wrinkling her nose as the frogs belly-flopped and sank into the mire.

"How far is it to Adelaide's?" Sabo asked her.

"It's . . . you know, why don't we wait till tomorrow," Nami said, turning away. "It's pretty late. She might be asleep."

"Oh. What should we do until then?"

"Should we join them?" Ace asked, pointing to the frogs.

Luffy gasped. "I want _that _mud!" he yelled, running down the boarding ramp and belly-flopping into the swamp.

Brook started to follow him, but Ace stopped him. "I got this," he said, sighing and going down the ramp to fetch Luffy. "Sabo, Nami, Brook, go find some dry land so we can sleep."

"Right, right," Sabo said, descending the ramp with his companions.

* * *

The small fire crackled under the willow tree, casting an orange glow on everyone's faces in the night. Nami rested on one of the tree's roots, listening to Sabo talk to her and Ace. Luffy warmed himself by the campfire, covered in dried mud from head to toe and roasting leaves on sticks with Brook.

". . . So then, I'm right in front of her," Sabo was saying. "And it's weird, because we haven't spoken in months, but there we were, having a conversation. It was almost normal. And I'm trying to tell her what I want to tell her, but I just—I couldn't get the words out. And just as I feel like I'm about to, Luffy comes in and distracts me. Ruining everything, like usual."

"You couldn't get the words out?" Ace said, glancing at Luffy, who was still playing campfire with Brook. "That doesn't sound like you."

Sabo rubbed the back of his neck. "Things . . . haven't been the same, since . . . that time."

"Sounds pretty awful," Nami remarked, stretching and yawning.

"Yeah. But I'll have to tell her—everyone—eventually. I can't stay here forever."

Nami shifted where she lay. "Why not?"

"Why not? Because . . ." Sabo wrapped his cape around himself, hunching his shoulders. "Maybe I could. I dunno."

"Sleep on it. Goodnight."

"Oh. Goodnight."

Nami turned over on her side, closing her eyes. Sabo got up and scooped up some dirt to put out the fire. "Luffy, bedtime," he said. Luffy whined, but lay down and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. Sabo curled up on his side against the tree, and Ace did the same a few feet away.

* * *

Ace sat up, rubbing his eyes. He squinted, seeing Sabo sitting at the edge of the clearing and staring out into the field under the cloudy sky. Nami was still resting on the tree root, and Brook, who could have been asleep or awake, was sitting cross-legged next to a sleeping Luffy. Ace got up and moved towards Sabo, sitting next to him.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," Sabo whispered, turning to look at him.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Sabo shrugged. "I just woke up."

"Sabo . . . I need to talk to you."

"Yeah?"

Ace drew in a breath. "Why don't you want to go home?"

Sabo flinched. "Of course I want to go home. Why wouldn't I?"

"That's what I'm asking you."

Sabo hunched his shoulders again and folded his arms. "Ace . . ."

"Yeah?"

"You, of all people, should know why I wouldn't want to go home."

"Sabo—"

"Luffy's been having such a good time, anyway," Sabo plowed on. "You wouldn't want to take that from him, right?"

Ace seized Sabo by the collar and turned him towards him. "Don't you use Luffy like that," he snapped, not bothering to keep his voice down. "Are you saying he hasn't _been_ happy?"

"I don't know." Sabo didn't flinch even in the tense face of his brother.

"How do you not know? Sabo, don't tell me y—"

"Nami."

"Don't change the sub—"

"Ace, Nami's gone."

Ace dropped Sabo's shirt, turning. Nami had vanished, and movement in the fields told them where she was going.

"Luffy," Sabo whispered, crawling over to him and shaking him. Brook stood; perhaps he'd never been asleep, after all. Luffy stirred, rubbing sleep and dirt out of his eyes. "Luffy, Nami's gone off somewhere. Come on."

"Are we going to Adelaide's now?" Luffy asked, sitting up.

"Just come on!"

Brook picked up a half-asleep Luffy and carried him, following Ace and Sabo as they followed the trail left by Nami in the fields.

* * *

Nami fell through the chimney of the ivy-covered cottage, coughing in the ash. She sat up as a voice cried out, "Close the flue! I'll catch my death of cold!"

"Adelaide?" Nami said, nudging the flue shut by moving the lever with her head. "We need to talk."

The inside of the cottage was cozy and quaint. The fireplace Nami had fallen into hadn't been used in ages, but was still covered in ash. Nami was now covered in it, too, and rolled around on the rug to free herself of debris. Covering the ceiling and most of the floor was a network of various yarns, as if someone had come in and thrown skeins around willy-nilly, and on the opposite wall was an old woman with a discolored nose and a bonnet around her head, resting in a small bed and eyeing Nami with beady eyes.

"Did you bring me any children?" Adelaide croaked.

"I found three kids," Nami admitted. "But you can't have them. They need to go home."

"But, dearie," Adelaide said, smiling with yellow teeth, "this will be their home!"

"But—"

"Can't you see I'm fragile and sickly?" Adelaide hid her face behind her covers. "Achoo! Cough, cough! I want a child servant!"

"Servant?" Nami repeated, scandalized. "That's not—I thought—"

"Need I remind you of our arrangement?" Adelaide said, climbing out of bed and approaching Nami, who backed away. "Once you bring me a child servant, I will give you the shears." She pulled out a pair of lethal-looking scissors from her apron pocket, the candlelight in the room casting strange reflections on the metal. "With these, you can snip off your tail and your mother's and your sister's, and become human again."

"Then—then I'll be your servant," Nami said, her paws trembling underneath her. "Just leave those kids alone."

Adelaide waved a hand impatiently. "I need a human child! A cat won't be much use for anything but chasing strings!"

"What if you turn me into a human?"

Adelaide started. "Oh—yes, the shears!"

"Right," Nami said as the door opened behind them. "Give me the shears, I'll go help my family, and I promise—"

"Nami?"

"Sabo?" she exclaimed, turning around. He and his brothers were at the door.

"Close the door!" Adelaide cried.

"You can't be here!" Nami exclaimed. "Go!"

"What's going on?" Ace said, shutting the door behind him. "Is this . . ."

". . . Adelaide?" Sabo finished, moving to stand in front of Luffy.

"Welcome home," Adelaide whispered. She pulled on one of the yarn strings. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were tripped up and wrapped up like flies in a web, caught in the yarn trap and immobilized on the floor.

"Guys!" Nami exclaimed, frozen.

"Nami?" Sabo repeated, staring at her in disbelief as Ace and Luffy struggled.

"At last, you've brought me my servants!" Adelaide said, rubbing her hands together. "I shall fill their heads with wool, and they will follow my every command!"

"I thought . . . I thought we were friends," Sabo said bleakly. "Why is she . . . like this?"

"I must do as he commands," Adelaide said, suddenly somber. "The voice in the night, the Beast . . . of eternal darkness."

Nami scampered over to a window and pawed at it until it opened. She pushed it open with her head while the door opened again.

"Eh? What are you doing?!" Adelaide shrieked, running for the window. "The night air, it's poison!"

"It's more than you deserve!" Nami snapped. "Sabo, Ace, Luffy—" She coughed as Adelaide's flesh began to bubble and dissolve, turning her into a pile of smoke. "Wow, talk about poison!"

In just seconds, Adelaide was no more than a pile of clothes on the floor. As the leftover smoke cleared away, Nami realized she was the only one left in the house: The yarn had been cut, and the brothers were nowhere to be seen.

"Sabo?" she called, running outside. She coughed. "Ace? Luffy?" She looked around in vain. "Brook? I'm sorry! I didn't—I just—" She crouched to the ground, her mouth open in despair. "Come back!"

* * *

Fog coated the forest as Ace, Sabo, Luffy, and Brook walked. Brook, who had been standing guard outside the house, had come in and freed them, and they'd made their quick escape. Sabo stared straight ahead, his lips pressed together and his hands clenched at his sides. Ace walked between him and Luffy, and Brook was on Luffy's other side.

"Ace? Sabo?" Luffy said, breaking the thick silence of the fog-damp trees. "What about Nami?"

"I shouldn't have trusted her," Sabo muttered to himself, ignoring Luffy. "It was all too easy. Of course it was a trap. It was all fake."

"What about Nami?" Luffy repeated. Sabo stopped and turned to glare at him. Luffy flinched, and Ace stepped between them, facing Sabo.

"She wasn't really our friend," Sabo said in a low voice while Brook took Luffy's hand and moved them backwards from his brothers. "Was _anything _real?" He seized Ace by the front of his travelling cloak. "Are _you _even real?!"

Ace met his eyes, fire burning behind both pairs. After a moment Sabo released Ace and dropped his gaze.

"I'm sorry," he said, turning forward. "Come on. Let's go."

He trudged on ahead. Ace motioned to Luffy and Brook, and they followed close behind him as he followed close behind Sabo, and the fog embraced them in its empty whiteness.


	7. More Bones to Sort

Rain pattered in the fields and against what few leaves remained in the trees, soaking the ground with its late autumn essence. As the grass swayed in the wind outside, Nami crouched inside Adelaide's house, watching the fields from the window and waiting out the rain. She had searched the dwelling from top to bottom, and side to side, and had come to the horrible conclusion that the shears were gone, and so was any chance of helping her family. She closed her eyes, turning her head away and curling up against the glass.

* * *

Ace, Sabo, Luffy, and Brook trudged uphill in the rain through clumps of wet leaves, their hats shielding their heads from the weather. Sabo led the way, his face hard and hands shoved in his pockets.

"Sabo?" Luffy said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Sabo didn't turn around.

"Where're we going?"

"Somewhere to shelter. We'll catch cold in this rain."

"But—" Luffy reached the top of the hill and stopped to rest, Ace and Brook slowing to accommodate him. Sabo stopped, waiting for him to finish. "Can we . . . can we wait for Nami?"

"We don't _need _Nami," Sabo snapped, and Luffy hid behind Ace's leg. "We don't need _anyone _but ourselves." A fleeting sadness passed across his face before he turned around again.

"Sabo," Ace said. "I'm mad at her, too, but you can't—"

"Nami's probably cold," Luffy said against Ace's pants. "And wet."

"If you're so concerned about her, you can go back to find her for all I care," Sabo said, whirling around again. "Do whatever you want. I'm going this way."

Luffy turned his head, looking back the way they had come, and then looked up at Ace and tugged on his pants, reaching up to him. Ace picked him up, and he and Brook hurried to catch up with Sabo.

The path up ahead seemed clear, save for the piles of slippery leaves, but out of nowhere a great tree toppled and fell directly in front of Sabo, who jumped back into Ace, who stumbled while clutching Luffy and bumped into Brook, who did an odd twirl to avoid being knocked over.

"You okay?" Ace said as they caught their breath.

"Yeah," Sabo said, moving forward and touching the tree. "That's weird. This tree looks healthy. Why'd it fall?"

"Sabo," Ace said urgently. Sabo turned and Ace pointed to the stump. "Axe marks."

Sabo turned and spotted the signs of hasty chopping in the felled wood. "Someone cut it down?" he said. "Don't tell me it was—"

"Your suspicions are correct," someone said, stepping out of the shadows. It was Cobra, his eyes cast down and his hands at his sides, the lantern in one and the axe in the other. "I cut this tree to stop you. I—"

"Run!" Sabo exclaimed. Ace and Brook made a safe getaway with Luffy, climbing into the branches of the tree on the other end, but Cobra was faster and caught Sabo's arm.

"Boy—Sabo!" he exclaimed, his face strained. "I came to warn you! The Beast knows you're here, and seeks you out!"

Sabo tried to yank his arm away, but the grip was too tight. "The tavernkeeper warned us that whoever carries the lantern is the Beast," he said, breathing hard and eyeing the lantern with the strange light. "You were tricking us all along, weren't you?"

"I cannot make you trust me!" Cobra said, tightening his grip on Sabo's arm. "I only ask that you and your brothers heed my warning! Do not fall for his wily tricks! Stay strong in body and mind, and he cannot touch—"

Sabo kicked out and knocked the lantern to the ground. Startled, Cobra released him and dove to pick it up, and Sabo ran, slipping through the tree branches and rejoining his brothers and Brook.

"Boys!" Cobra called, the lantern swinging as he ran for the branches. The wood blocked his view and they were too numerous for him to climb through. "Beware the Beast!"

A shuffling behind him made him freeze.

"We should talk," said the Beast from the shadows, tilting his head.

* * *

Ace, Sabo, and Brook ran through the trees, pushing through bushes and zig-zagging between the leaves and the raindrops. When the trees thinned, they came to a halt and caught their breath.

"Is he following us?" Ace said, looking back. Luffy tugged on Ace's shirt and Ace set him down again.

"Doesn't look like it," Sabo said as Brook leaned against a tree, pretending to catch his breath. Luffy adjusted the pipe cleaners taped to his sides. "Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think he really is the Beast?"

"I doubt it," Ace said. "I don't know why he has that lantern, but I don't know why the Beast would go to the trouble of putting on a disguise and warning us about himself."

"Hmm. Maybe you're right." Sabo sighed, his eyes travelling around the clearing and falling upon something. "Hey . . ."

A run-down house rested in the middle of overgrown grass. Its outside wood was grey and chipped, its chimney was crumbling, and the steps to the front door were sagging. The misty rain only made the appearance more depressing—perhaps the house was starting to sink into the softened ground.

"That place looks abandoned," Sabo said, squinting. "Wanna wait out the rain in there?"

"Sounds good," Ace said, giving him a grin.

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed. "It looks haunted! Maybe we'll find a real ghost this time!"

Brook appeared faint at the prospect, but followed Luffy and his brothers nonetheless to the old house. They walked up the steps, and Sabo tried the door. He found it unlocked and pushed it open to find a living room with a dusty wooden chair, a basket by a dressing-table, and the disused fireplace that must have connected to the chimney outside.

"This is nice," Sabo said, walking in. Luffy ran ahead of him and took a running jump into the chair, getting dust all over his pants. Sabo wrung out some water from his cape, and Ace removed his travelling cloak, doing the same, while Brook squeezed it from his hair. "Let's see . . ."

He went to the vanity and checked the drawers. Finding matchsticks, he struck one and lit the candles. He tossed the match into the fireplace, but it fizzled and went out.

"Guess the wood's too wet," he said, disappointed. "Anything interesting in there?"

"Just some turtles," Ace said, closing the lid and straightening up from where he'd been bent over the basket. Luffy gasped and ran to the basket, standing on tiptoes to look inside at the squirming mass of miniature black turtles. He beckoned to Brook, who joined him and nodded in approval at every turtle Luffy pointed out. "Weird that this would be in an abandoned house, huh?"

"Oh, geez, maybe someone actually lives here," Sabo said, suddenly concerned. He glanced up the stairs against the wall. "I don't hear anyone. Maybe they're out."

"We'll just hope they won't come back till the rain lets up," Ace said, nodding. Luffy picked up a turtle and patted its small head with one finger. "And if they do, we'll knock them out."

The door on the wall across from the front opened and a young woman wearing a bonnet, a deep purple shirt, and a white waist apron entered.

"Where could it be?" she muttered to herself. She looked up, saw the visitors, and gasped, her blue eyes widening.

"Crap," Ace exclaimed. "Sabo, now!"

"Hi!" Luffy exclaimed, waving. "We're burglars!"

"We are _not!" _Sabo protested. "We're just sheltering from the rain, and we'll fight you if you try to kick us out!"

"I . . . I won't try to remove you," the woman said, composing herself. She touched her dull-skinned face, brushing dark hair out of the way. "You startled me, that's all. Might I have your names?"

Ace gestured to Sabo, miming throwing something, but Sabo shrugged, looking between him and the woman. Ace rolled his eyes, and the group introduced themselves.

"My name is Robin," the woman said. She eyed Brook. "You're a skeleton? What a waste."

"You don't mind if we stay here, then?" Sabo asked as Brook closed the turtle basket and placed Luffy on top.

"Not at all. In fact, it's very good that you're here." She licked her lips. "I could use your help."

"With what?" Ace said. He glanced at the mirror on the dressing-table, but Robin moved before he could catch a glimpse of her reflection.

"My mother," Robin said, something passing behind her eyes as she spoke. "She'll eat you up if she sees you, and pick your bones clean." Brook shuddered. "Don't worry, she's out at the moment. I need your help to escape."

"Why can't you do that on your own?" Sabo asked. Luffy swung his legs, swaying where he sat. "And how can we help?"

"She keeps me here with an enchanted bell," Robin explained, running a hand over her forehead and holding it at the side. "Once she rings it, I've no choice but to follow orders, and one of the orders she gave was for me to never leave this house." She let out a long-suffering sigh. "I've tried to leave, but even then she keeps me busy, forcing me to work." She met each of their eyes and eye sockets one-by-one. "She's hidden the bell somewhere. If you can help me find it, and destroy it . . ."

"You'll be free," Sabo completed. "We'll help."

"Sabo," Ace whispered.

"What? It shouldn't be too hard, and we're not doing anything else." Sabo glanced at Luffy. "What do you say, Luffy? Wanna look for the magical bell?"

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed, jumping down from the basket. Sabo looked at Ace, smug, and Ace rolled his eyes.

"Then you'll help me?" Robin said, smiling. "Thank you so much. I've searched most of the house already, but with some fresh eyes . . . ? Run."

"What?" Ace said, taking a step back.

"What?" Robin said, the fleeting desperation that had flashed on her features gone without a trace. "Fresh eyes, as in, I'm so used to this house that—"

"I know what you meant," Ace said, shifting to stand in front of Luffy. "Mind if we check upstairs first?"

"Please," Robin said with a nod. "I'll keep looking down here."

Ace herded his brothers and Brook up the stairs, Luffy bounding up two steps at a time, while Robin knelt by the fireplace. They entered a door and shut it behind them.

"What's up?" Sabo whispered. The room was greyly lit by the overcast sky outside and the rain beat a rhythm on the dirty windowpane. "You don't think she's lying?"

"I dunno," Ace said. "It was a pretty specific story. I don't doubt there _is _a bell around here to be found, but . . . ?"

"But?"

"Earlier, I swear I saw her eyes change," Ace said. "For a split second. I swear they were brown."

"Probably some weird lighting," Sabo said as Luffy and Brook set about the room, searching under and around the bed. Ace knelt, checking the floorboards and wall for secret panels, and Sabo crossed to examine the window. "Maybe?"

"Maybe," Ace said, frowning. "She said her mother was out, but she didn't seem concerned that she'd come back and we'd be discovered. Isn't that weird?"

"Come to think of it . . ." Sabo turned around, his face oddly shadowed by the window light. "Yeah . . . that is weird. She didn't seem scared of her mother at all. Obviously people have different reactions to the same situation—"

"Is this it?" Luffy said. Ace and Sabo turned to look at him. He was standing up, covered in dust and holding out an oddly-shaped bell with a proud smile. Brook stood and held out his hands towards Luffy as if presenting him at an awards ceremony.

"Let me see that," Sabo said. He took the object from Luffy and examined it. It was indeed a bell, and it was shaped like a dress-wearing girl with a skull for a head. "If any bell's enchanted, it's this one."

"Nice work, squirt," Ace said, pushing Luffy's hat down over his eyes. Luffy lifted it up and grinned at him. "Where was it?"

"Under the floorboards," Luffy said, pointing. "I hide food under the floor all the time, so I knew where it was!" He bounced in place. "So're we taking it to Robin?"

"Hm. Maybe . . . Sabo?"

"Yeah," Sabo said. He held the bell by the clapper so it wouldn't ring. "Luffy, be extra quiet."

"Okay!"

The four of them crept to the door, and Ace opened it slowly. They came out one at a time, and were about to go down the stairs when Ace backed up, ducking behind the balustrade and yanking Sabo with him. Getting the idea, Brook dropped to the floor. Ace and Sabo removed their hats and indicated to Luffy to do the same. He did so with a pout, and all three peeked over the railing.

Robin was at the dressing table, shutting a drawer with a sigh. She opened the basket of turtles and pulled one out. To their horror, she placed it in her mouth and a horrible sucking sound was emitted. A moment later, she removed the empty black shell and tossed it into the corner. Ace covered Luffy's mouth to prevent him from crying out, and nudged Sabo, pointing to his face, and then the dressing-table's mirror.

The mirror displayed Robin in full, but her face was warped. Her eyes were hollow and almost completely black, her cheeks were sunken, and her too-wide mouth was full of jagged teeth. Ace and Sabo ducked down again, and Ace pulled Luffy down with them.

"What the _hell _was that?" Sabo whispered. Luffy tried to pop up again to get another glimpse, but Brook took his shoulder and pushed him to the floor.

"Maybe her mother—if she exists—isn't the one who's evil," Ace whispered. "Let's go back down. Hide the bell."

"What?"

"We can't go anywhere else."

"I have a plan," Luffy announced, but Sabo shushed him and Luffy pouted. The three of them put on their hats again, straightened up, and slowly made their way down the stairs with Brook close behind Luffy.

"Back already?" Robin asked, looking up and moving away from the mirror. "Did you find it?"

"Nope," Ace lied. Sabo shifted, hiding the bell behind his back. "I'm so sorry, but I think we should go. It sounds like the rain's stopping, and we've got to be on our way."

"Go?" Robin repeated. "But . . . you can't."

"What if your mother comes back?" Sabo said, testing the waters.

Robin twitched, her mouth curling up in a snarl. "My mother . . . won't come back." She clutched her face as her flesh started to melt around her fingers, twisting and molding. A sound like a shriek escaped from Brook. "I'm sorry . . . I can't hold back any longer . . . what a shame."

Ace threw out an arm in front of Sabo and Luffy as the face from the mirror looked up at them. Robin began to hover, staring at them with a maniacal grin, and as they backed up back up the stairs, she lashed out with elongated fingers, only for Brook to step in front of them and take the blow.

"Move, skeleton," she hissed, seizing him by the front of his shirt and holding him in the air. "Else I'll tear you apart, bone by bone."

Brook trembled in her hands, but shook his head, holding out his arms. Robin opened her mouth and yanked on his arm—

"_No!" _Luffy cried. He seized the bell from Sabo and rang it hard. A ghostly sound, not unlike Brook's skeletal cry, echoed throughout the room. "Stop! Stop right now!"

"Luffy!" Sabo exclaimed, but as soon as the bell rang, Robin's hollow eyes glowed bright blue like St. Elmo's fire. She gasped and dropped Brook, who stumbled, rubbed his arm, and backed away, holding out an arm in front of Luffy.

"Don't you hurt Brook!" Luffy snapped at Robin as she hovered, frozen. "I _told _you I had a plan," he added to Sabo.

"The bell really does . . . Luffy, give me that," Ace said quickly. Luffy handed him the bell and Ace rang it.

"The spirit . . . compels me," Robin whispered in a hissing, spitting voice.

"Don't move from that spot!" Ace ordered. "Sabo, let's go!"

"Wait," Sabo exclaimed. He grabbed the bell and rang it, wincing at the sound. "I order you to answer this question! Are you possessing Robin?"

"I have taken . . . the body of this girl," not-Robin hissed.

"Then—" Sabo rang the bell again. "Then I order you to leave her, and never come back!"

At once, the blue light in Robin's eyes vanished, and so did her ghostly appearance. She fell to the floor, her eyes closed and body limp.

"That was amazing," Ace whispered as a rushing wind flew past them and then vanished altogether. "Here I was, ready to leave her—"

"Amazing? Not really," Sabo said, shaking his head. He dropped the bell and stepped forward to check on Robin.

"Are you okay?" Luffy asked Brook. Brook nodded, popped his arm back into place, and gave Luffy a thumbs-up.

"Mm . . ."

"Robin?" Sabo said as she opened her eyes. They were brown now, and very wet, and her skin had lost its dull tinge, taking on a healthy glow. Ace and Luffy hurried forward to be by Sabo.

"Are you okay?" Ace asked.

Robin sat up, staring at them in disbelief. "You saved me," she said, her arms trembling as she used them to support herself. "I . . . I'm so sorry. That wicked spirit almost . . ."

"It was making you do bad stuff, huh?" Luffy said. "Is your mom coming home soon?"

Robin covered her mouth as she started to cry. Sabo glared at Luffy and smacked his head.

"Two days ago," Robin said, hiccuping. "She was asleep. I'd finished my chores early. I couldn't—couldn't stop—"

"Oh, man. Do you . . . need anything?" Ace asked, awkward.

"If you wanted, you could . . . come with us?" Sabo offered. "If you don't want to stay here, that is—?"

"I'm sorry, but if you can go, please do," Robin said. She got to her feet, shaking, and the others straightened up as well. "I need . . . I need to be alone. To pay my respects."

"I understand," Sabo said. "Maybe you can catch up with us later?"

Robin managed a smile. "Maybe."

"Can I have the turtles?" Luffy asked, pointing to the basket. Ace and Sabo gave him a look and shushed him, but Robin nodded.

"Please, take them away," she said, shuddering. "I don't want them here."

Brook picked up the basket to hold for Luffy, and Robin saw them to the door.

"Good luck on your travels," she said as they went down the steps. "I hope we meet again some day."

"Goodbye!" Luffy exclaimed, waving. Ace and Sabo gave farewell waves, and the four of them set off through the woods again. The rain had stopped, leaving an oppressive chill in the air, and the ground squished under their feet.

"Where're we going now?" Luffy asked, trotting alongside Sabo as Ace and Brook walked behind them, Brook carrying the turtle basket with surprising ease.

"I don't know," Sabo said, his eyes downcast.

"You're going home," Ace said firmly.

"Yeah, we're going home!" Luffy echoed. "Which way's home?"

"Luffy, I . . ." Sabo stopped walking. "I don't know . . . if we can make it back home. I don't know where we are. I don't know where we're going. We might well live the rest of our lives here."

"Sabo, don't you dare give up," Ace said, kicking him from behind. Sabo stumbled and started walking again. "Luffy needs you."

"Yeah, I do," Luffy said, bouncing along. "I wanna go home with you!"

"It's up to you," Ace said. "Come on, raise your head."

Sabo continued walking with his eyes turned down and his hands in his pockets, and the group moved on in silence save for Luffy's quiet humming.

"Good, good," the Beast said, hiding among the trees just past where the group had been. "Lose all hope, just like that." He whirled around, his mirror-eyes staring directly at Cobra, who scowled back at him. "We're lucky he didn't listen to you. You could have cost me a soul and you a daughter. Don't you care about keeping the lantern lit?" The Beast circled Cobra. "Don't you care about your little girl's soul?"

"She would not have wanted this," Cobra said, holding the lantern aloft and staring inside at the strange flame dancing and twirling. "She would not have wanted me to sacrifice anyone for her. That, she would have hated more than anything."

He adjusted the few twigs left on his back and turned.

"Where are you going?" the Beast demanded. "Stay here or else—!"

"Or else what?" Cobra said, glancing back. "If you wish to take those children, and they will not listen to me, there is little I can do. I will tend to my burden and pray they have the pluck to best you, Beast."

"You—!" the Beast roared, but Cobra was gone, disappearing among the trees as the last leaf fluttered to the ground.


	8. Patient Is the Night

The sky was dark, and the chill and clouds put a wretched feeling in the air, but still Sabo, Ace, Luffy, and Brook walked on. Sabo clutched his cape around him, and Ace did the same with his travelling cloak. Luffy insisted he wasn't cold, even when he started to shiver.

When they came upon a small river, they stopped at the water's edge, looking across.

"Think it's shallow enough to wade?" Ace asked hopefully while Brook opened the basket of turtles at Luffy's request. He knelt and shook them out into the mud while Luffy cheered.

Sabo just shrugged at Ace's question, and Ace sighed. He fetched a long stick from the base of a nearby tree and tested the water.

"Looks like we can walk across," he said. "Luffy, someone's gotta carry you, you're too little."

"I'm _not," _Luffy protested, but Brook was already picking him up. Luffy scowled and held Brook's shirt while Sabo and Ace led the way, Ace in front and Sabo shuffling behind. A moment later, Luffy looked around, his scowl dissipating.

"Do you guys hear that?" he asked. Brook paused and cupped a hand around the side of his head, and nodded. Ace and Sabo stopped, the water running around their ankles. "Someone's singing."

"It's probably the Beast," Sabo said, turning forward and walking again as the echoes of the song faded away. "Seeking out wayward souls like us."

"Didn't Mr. Cobra say something about avoiding the Beast?" Ace reminded him as he and Brook walked again. "About staying strong?"

"I don't remember." They reached the shore, and Ace and Sabo shook water out of their boots while Brook set down Luffy and did the same with his shoes.

"So, where's home?" Luffy asked. "Only, I don't see it anywhere. Are we close?"

"Luffy, stop it," Sabo said, clenching his hands inside his cape. "Stop acting like we're going to get home. We're lost for good. I don't know the way home, and if Ace does, he's not telling."

"I _told _you, you have to find the way home," Ace repeated, exasperated.

"Yeah!" Luffy echoed, folding his arms. "There was a way in here, so there's gotta be a way out!"

"Luffy, it was your fault we got lost in the first place," Sabo snapped, moving past Luffy and sitting against a barren tree. "You and your _shenanigans—" _

"I don't do shemanigans!" Luffy protested, frowning. "And it _wasn't _my fault!" He looked down. "Was it?"

"Of course it was. Like always." Sabo folded his arms. "You got us here. You can get us out."

"What? Me? Okay. Are you coming?"

"I'm going to sleep." Sabo turned over on his side and curled up. "You can do what you want."

"Really? Okay. I'm gonna sleep, too. Then we can go when we're both awake."

Sabo had already closed his eyes and was breathing deeply. Luffy shrugged and went to lay by him, looking up at Ace. "Are you gonna sleep, too?"

"Maybe. Someone should keep a lookout, though."

"Brook?" Luffy said. "Can you be the guard?"

Brook saluted and sat next to him.

"Thanks!" Ace sat on Sabo's other side and removed his travelling cloak, laying it over his brothers. "Wow, thanks, Ace!" Luffy glanced at the sleeping Sabo and lowered his voice. "I'm gonna be a great leader. Right?"

"Luffy . . . Sabo shouldn't have said that stuff," Ace said, shaking his head as he lay down. "He needs to take care of you, not the other way around."

"It's okay," Luffy said, curling up. "Sabo's just sad, isn't he? And he doesn't know how to be sad right, so he's being mad at me."

"Yeah," Ace said, taken aback as always by Luffy's perceptiveness. "He doesn't know how to be sad right. What's the right way, then?"

"You cry," Luffy said. "And you punch your stuffed animals, and then you feel bad and say sorry to them, and then if you're still sad you talk to your brother about your pralines."

"Problems," Ace said. "Yeah. You're a smart kid."

"I'm _not _a kid."

"Right, sorry. A smart _a-do-les-cent." _

"I'm not that, either!"

"If you say so." Ace pat Luffy's head. "Night, shorty."

"Night!"

They sprawled out on the forest floor, Ace warm with body heat and Luffy and Sabo warm under Ace's cloak, and soon all three were fast asleep.

* * *

"Wake up."

Luffy stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He grinned when he saw a light snow blanketing the forest floor, giving a soft glow to the darkness.

"Brook, was that you?" he whispered, seeing Brook standing and looking around. Brook shook his head.

"Are you awake, Luffy?" the voice said. Brook jumped and shielded Luffy even as Luffy threw the cloak off of him, giving the excess to Sabo, and stood, trying to find the source.

"Greetings," the voice said. Something moved and Brook grabbed Luffy's hand, pulling him back. An enormous shadow loomed in the trees, its mirror-eyes staring at Luffy. Up close, it had something like antlers sprouting from its head, looking like entwined tree branches.

"Hello," Luffy whispered. "Who are you?"

"Call me a friend," said the Beast. "Won't you come over here? I'd like to talk to you."

Luffy looked back at Ace and Sabo, who were still fast asleep.

"Do not worry about your brothers," the Beast said. "They will not wake."

"Oh, okay," Luffy said, nodding. He moved towards the Beast, but was stopped by Brook pulling on his hand. He looked up. "What's wrong, Brook?"

"Brook, is it?" the Beast said. "What a wonderful name."

"Brook, it's okay, I just wanna talk to the giant shadow," Luffy said. He pulled Brook towards the Beast, and Brook reluctantly followed. When Luffy stopped directly in front of the Beast, the shadow looming over him, Brook sat and pulled Luffy into his lap, wrapping his arms protectively around him and staring directly into the Beast's face.

"You've journeyed far and wide with your brothers, haven't you?" the Beast said in a low, soothing tone. "It must have been tough."

"Hm . . . yeah, sort of," Luffy said. "Sabo's been having a rough time. It's really nice having Ace here, though. But even though he's here, Sabo's still sad."

"I'm sure he is," the Beast said with a somber nod. "You want to go home, don't you?"

"Uh-huh," Luffy said, shifting in Brook's lap. "I bet I can find a way home. I really wanna help Sabo."

"You may not be able to take him with you," the Beast said, shaking his massive head.

"What? Yes I will. I'm not gonna go home without him. Don't be dumb."

The Beast raised a hand and pointed with a too-long finger. "I'm afraid not. Those who are truly lost become part of this forest, Luffy. Do you see how even now, the edelwood grows around him?"

Luffy whipped around, scrambling out of Brook's lap to get a better look. Sure enough, leaf-bearing twigs were creeping around Sabo's body, and as he watched, they embraced him.

"No!" he exclaimed, reaching out, but the Beast stopped him.

"Be careful with him," he warned. "Once the edelwood starts to take him, it cannot be removed by force alone. He could be very hurt, or worse, if you try."

Luffy stepped back and allowed Brook to lead him back to the Beast. "There's gotta be something I can do," he said, his eyes filling with tears as he clutched Brook's hand. "I'm not going home without Sabo. And I don't want him to turn int-t-to a t-t-tree—"

"There, there, don't cry," the Beast said as the snow fell around them, collecting on Luffy's hat, Brook's hair, and Luffy's sleeping brothers. Brook knelt and brushed some tears away from Luffy's face. "I know of a way to save him."

"R-Really?" Luffy exclaimed, hiccuping.

"Of course. You'll have to follow me, and do as I say. Can you do that? Your brother is counting on you."

"Yeah! Yeah, I can do that!" Luffy said, nodding.

"Then come, wayward soul."

Luffy patted Brook's arm. "Can you stay here, and watch over Sabo?" he asked. He let go of Brook's arm and started to follow the Beast, but heard a noise and turned around. "Brook, no, don't follow me. I'll be okay, really. I'm strong. But Sabo might be in trouble. Can you pretty please stay here, and keep an eye on him? Please?"

Brook hesitated, and then nodded, bowing his head.

"Thank you," Luffy whispered, hugging his leg. "I'm coming!"

"We have much to do," the Beast said, gliding along the forest floor.

Brook hurried to Ace and Sabo and started shaking them, brushing off the snow, but they would not move. And then, as Luffy and the Beast vanished in the distance, it was as if a spell had been broken. Ace and Sabo stirred, and sat up, squinting.

"Brook?" Ace said, yawning. He looked around and narrowed his eyes. "Luffy? Where's—Sabo, what's that stuff?"

"Gross," Sabo said, breaking off the twigs that had surrounded his limbs. He shook off a leaf and looked around. "Luffy?" His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. "Luffy!"

"Brook, you were supposed to be on guard," Ace said, standing and jabbing a finger into Brook's chest. "So _where is he?" _

Brook covered his face, shaking his head.

"Ace, Brook wouldn't have let Luffy be kidnapped," Sabo said, his head swinging this way and that as he searched the trees. "Luffy must've gone off on his own. But—"

"But he's too little to take care of himself, and it's _snowing, _and he doesn't have a coat," Ace finished, snatching up his travelling cloak and wrapping it around himself. "Brook, which way did he go?"

Brook lowered his hands and looked around. He pointed one way, and then another, and then shrugged, shaking his head. The footprints had vanished under the snow.

"Brook, is he in trouble?" Ace insisted. At this, Brook nodded violently.

"No," Sabo said, shaking his head. "No, not Luffy, too. I can't—" He swore loudly and took off from the tree, ignoring Ace calling after him. His footsteps crunched in the snow, and it obscured his vision in the dark of night.

"_Luffy!" _he called, hurrying through the trees. The ground under his feet changed, but he paid it no mind. "_Lu—" _

The ground disappeared, and a sickening _CRACK _rang throughout the night, and Sabo was falling through the ice into the freezing lake. He gasped, inhaling water, and when he tried to flounder upwards he banged his head against the ice and sank again, his vision blurry.

All at once, or perhaps a hundred years later, a hand had taken hold of his shirt and was pulling him upwards onto the ground. He shivered violently until something thick and warm covered him, and he tried to open his eyes, seeing two blurry shapes.

". . . bo . . . Sabo . . . ?"

"Luffy," he whispered, but it was Ace and Brook who came into focus. A great pressure in his chest made him cough up the water he'd swallowed, and he gasped, choking on the crisp winter air.

"Stupid," Ace said with relief as Sabo's vision went dark. Ace looked up at Brook. "We've got to get him somewhere warm before we look for Luffy. Any ideas?"

"I might know a place," someone by their ankles said, and they looked down to see Nami, her fur fluffed against the cold and tail curled around her paws.


	9. Prelude

Sabo, lying listlessly on his bed, stared up at the origami polyhedrons tied to strings decorating the ceiling. He looked out the window into the night, hearing a passing group of trick-or-treaters, their steps up the walkway, and their disappointed sighs when they saw the _No Candy Here _sign taped to the front door. His eyes travelled to the empty bed on the opposite wall, its covers mussed from him sitting on it and Luffy holding the blanket.

He frowned and covered the left half of his face with his hand, gripping skin and bone with finger and fingernail. He groaned, and then sighed, and then muttered under his breath, and then sat up, and then lay back down, and then sat up again. He removed his hand, red marks left from his nails, and stood. He crossed the room to his closet, pulling out a dark blue shirt, a white handkerchief which he tied around his neck, pants that were too big for him (he fixed this with a belt), black boots, and a top hat with goggles.

Sabo made quick work putting this outfit together, though when he looked at himself in the mirror he frowned. He checked his closet again and pulled out a black cape, which he tied around his neck, and looked at his reflection again.

"Okay," he said, brushing some hair out of his face. "Not bad."

He opened the door, turned off the light, and crept downstairs. He snuck past a sleeping Dadan on the couch, her face flushed and mouth open while the television played a soap opera. He reached the front door and pushed it open slowly, sneaking outside and shutting it behind him.

"Here we go," he said, and walked down the path, past the jack-o'-lantern with the grotesque face, past the overgrown grass, and onto the sidewalk. He adjusted his hat, looked around, and turned right, going down the suburban street and around the corner.

"Sabo!" someone exclaimed, startling him. He looked down and saw Luffy, who had two pipe cleaners over his hat taped to a headband, and two taped to a circle of cloth tied around his middle, sticking out on either side.

"Oh, hi, Luffy," Sabo said, sighing. "Where's Usopp and Chopper?"

"They, um . . . went . . . home," Luffy said, looking away.

"Luffy . . ."

"Sabo, can we go beetle-hunting?" Luffy asked, looking up at him hopefully. He pulled a piece of candy out of his pocket and ate it. "You keep saying you'll come with me, but you haven't, and the beetles are all gonna be gone soon."

"Maybe later," Sabo said. "I've got something to do."

"What? Can I come, and then we can do beetle-hunting after?"

"Yeah, whatever," Sabo said, rolling his eyes. He started walking again and Luffy fell into step beside him, trotting to keep up. "What's your costume, anyway?"

"I _told _you already, I'm a beetle," Luffy said. "See, these are my extra legs, and these are my antennae. Makino helped me make it."

"Really?" Sabo said skeptically, looking at the rushed handiwork.

"Yeah! She said next year I should come earlier and she can make a better costume."

Sabo was silent. They walked along the street, and Luffy waved to their neighbor Bentham, and then their neighbors Mr. Boodle and Mr. Hocker, and then to Coby and Helmeppo, dressed up and trick-or-treating across the street.

"So, what're we doing?" Luffy asked, stuffing more candy into his mouth.

"_I'm _looking for . . ." Sabo sighed. "Koala."

"Oh, yay! Are you gonna hang out with her n' everyone again? I miss when she'd come over. She always threw me into the couch. It was fun. Where is she?"

"I think she's at a house party tonight," Sabo said.

"I saw one of those on my way here."

"Really? Where?"

"Over here! Or, maybe, over here . . . ?"

* * *

It was almost half an hour before they found the party. Music from inside carried out into the street, and silhouettes of people Sabo had once known and talked to passed by the windows.

"Here it is," Sabo said. "Thanks, Luffy. Here goes nothing. You wait out here."

"Okay," Luffy said. Sabo walked up the path, placed a hand on the pristine door, hesitated, and pushed it open.

"Hey, Sabo!" someone from his history class exclaimed, getting everyone else's attention. "You came!"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "'Scuse the lateness. Have you guys seen—?"

"She's in here," the host said, pushing him forward. Sabo nodded and stepped through the doorway and into the small kitchen while the partygoers returned to their conversations.

There she was, bent over a glass at the counter and pouring something from two pitchers inside. She put the pitchers back into the fridge, shut the door, and turned around.

"Sabo!" she exclaimed, smiling. "You're here!"

"Hey . . . Koala," Sabo said, shuffling his feet. "Um . . . whatcha got there?"

"Mixed drink. Lemonade and orange juice. It's a citrus delight." She grinned. "What's your outfit?"

"I dunno. Some steampunk thing, I guess."

"It suits you." She took a sip of her drink.

"I like yours, too," Sabo said. She was wearing a onesie of her namesake, her hands and feet covered by paw-like mittens and socks. "Did you make it yourself?"

"Sure did. Gotta keep those sewing skills fresh. What about you?"

"This? No, no, I just threw it together. Last-minute."

"Huh. Hey, listen, me n' the gang are meeting in front of the graveyard. We're gonna make plans to sneak into the pigsty, burn some debt records and criminal histories and whatnot. Wanna come?"

"The graveyard?"

"Yeah. We didn't—sorry, we didn't think you'd—I mean—" Koala fumbled with her glass as she took another sip. "Listen, we can change the place, I'll run ahead and—"

"No, it's okay," Sabo interrupted. "Koala, I came to say . . ."

"Hm?"

Damn it, damn it, damn it. They had almost been there, almost been normal again, but—

"Koala," Sabo tried again. She tilted her head. "I wanted to say I'm . . . I'm—"

A collective cooing from the living room made him turn around. "Oh, no," he said, hurrying out of the kitchen and back into the living room. Luffy was there, chatting up the high-schoolers and showing off his costume.

"Luffy," Sabo exclaimed. "Sorry about him, excuse us—"

He picked up Luffy and carried him out of the party while Luffy waved goodbye. Once they were well away from the house, he set Luffy down onto the sidewalk. "I told you to stay outside," he snapped. "Look what you did. I was trying to talk to Koala and you ruined it!"

"I did? I'm sorry." Luffy shuffled his feet. "I heard you guys talking."

"That's great, Luffy." Sabo groaned and covered his face. "I can't do this. We're going back to the house."

"Sabo, can we go on a beetle-hunt now?"

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, but . . . I wanna beetle-hunt."

Sabo took Luffy's hand and led him down the sidewalk. "We're going back to the house. We can beetle-hunt another time."

"That's what you always say, and then we never do!" Luffy pulled on Sabo's arm. "Come on, Sabo! Sabo, let's go beetle-hunting! Sabo, you're not doing anything else anyway!"

He whined and badgered and pulled on Sabo all the way back to the house. When they reached their street, Sabo whirled around and snapped, "_Fine! _We'll go! But we're leaving as soon as we find _one _beetle!"

Luffy grinned. "Come on! This way!"

He pulled on Sabo's arm again, and they changed roles, Luffy leading him down the street.

"Luffy, this isn't the way to the woods," Sabo said.

"Um . . . there're some _really _great beetles over here," Luffy said, not meeting Sabo's eyes.

"Luffy, I swear to—"

"Just come on!"

They walked down street after street, past decorated house after decorated house.

"How much candy did you get, anyway?" Sabo asked.

"A bit. I ate some already."

"Okay, just remember what I told—"

Sabo stopped, seeing where they were. The open gates to the graveyard were on their right, and straight ahead, in front of the stone wall, were his friends: Koala, Hack, and Ivankov.

"Hi, Sabo's friends!" Luffy yelled, getting their attention. They spotted him and Sabo and waved, beckoning. "Wow, Sabo, isn't that funny? Your friends were here instead of beetles! What a coinsadinner!"

"Luffy, you—I'll get you for this," Sabo hissed as Luffy dragged him towards the group. "Guys—"

"Sabo, you decided to come?" Koala said, smiling. "That's great!"

"I—"

"Koala said you might," Hack said, nodding. He had painted his face as a dog, not going so far as Koala had to wear a onesie but still wearing a headband with dog ears on it.

"It's so good to see you, kiddo," Ivankov said, flipping their straightened hair, the only thing they'd changed for the night. Despite only graduating high school in June, they insisted on referring to the others as children.

"Really?" Sabo said, taken aback. "You too, Iva. I like the, uh, glitter."

"Isn't it marvelous?" Iva exclaimed, showing off their light-show skin. "I had to buy it, but it _is _biodegradable!"

"It is," Sabo said. "Marvelous, I mean."

"So are you staying?" Koala said. "Only, your brother . . ."

"I . . . yeah, Luffy, what the hell," Sabo said, looking down at him. "You need to go inside."

"I know the way," Luffy said, frowning. "I'm not a kid."

"Yes, you are." Sabo looked up at Koala and the others. "Guys, I—"

"Panda," Hack said urgently. Sabo turned around to see a patrol car approaching, its top lights off.

"_You kids!" _a voice over the car speaker said. "_No loitering! You're all under arrest!" _

"_Run, darlings!" _Ivankov yelled. They and Hack split off for the library grounds, and Luffy dragged Sabo away with Koala close behind.

"_I was kidding!" _the policeman over the speaker said. "_Hey, come back! Don't go in there!" _

The three of them ran past rows and rows of tombstones and plaques. Koala split off from Sabo and Luffy at a crossroads, diving behind a stone, and Sabo and Luffy were caught up in a dead-end against the stone wall blocking off the graves from the wilderness beyond. In an instant, Sabo was boosting Luffy up and over the wall, anything to get away from that cemetery, and then used the ivy to climb up himself, ignoring the flashlights of the pursuing officers.

Sabo landed hard on the other side and straightened up, wincing and dusting off his pants. Luffy had bounced back already and was exploring the grass just beyond the train tracks situated next to the wall.

"Luffy," Sabo snapped. Luffy looked up. "This is all your fault."

"What'd I do?"

"If we were home right now, this wouldn't have happened! If you hadn't bothered me when I was talking to Koala in the kitchen, I could've said what I needed to by now!" Sabo groaned and covered his face. "And now it's all messed up twice in one night!"

"Wait," Luffy said, his eyes shining. He ran to a clump of tall grass close to the train tracks and bent down. "Sabo!"

"What? A beetle? I don't care what it is, Luffy, I—"

Luffy held up a very tall skeleton with a crack in its skull, an afro on its head, and tattered clothes on its body. "Look! It's a skeleton!"

Sabo made a face. "That can't be real, can it? It's probably just a party decoration someone threw away. Put it down, Luffy."

"No," Luffy said, hugging the skeleton around the chest. "I'm gonna keep him and name him. Do you have any ideas?"

"Do what you want," Sabo said, folding his arms and turning away, pacing across the train tracks. "I don't care."

"Oh, okay. I'll name him myself. Let's see . . ."

A whistle reached their ears, and a light spilled across the tracks. A train was approaching, too fast, too close. Sabo gasped and ran for Luffy, shoving him out of the way just in time. He slipped in the dirt and rolled down the steep hill with Luffy and his skeleton just ahead of him, rolling and bumping against every rock in the dirt, and there was a great shock as he hit the cold water of the river at the bottom, and everything was dark, his lungs were frozen, he needed to breathe, but water filled his mouth, his lungs screamed for air, he needed to breathe, breathe, breathe,

* * *

Sabo opened his eyes blearily, squinting.

"What the?" he mumbled, trying to sit up and bumping his head on something. He winced and lay back down again.

"You're awake!" someone exclaimed. "Thank god!"

Two faces appeared above his: A fuchsia cat and a lavender one, both with light brown eyes.

"Nami?" he whispered.

"You know my little girl?" the fuchsia cat said, leaning in close. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's gotten into trouble, hasn't she?" added the lavender cat.

"I . . . I don't know where she is," Sabo whispered. His voice regained strength as he regained consciousness. "Where . . . have you seen my brother?"

"Yes, he left a little while ago, leaving you and that skeleton out there at our doorstep," the fuchsia cat said, looking to the side. Sabo turned over onto his stomach and squinted. Just outside of wherever he was, the snow fell thick and fast, and the outline of Brook's legs was barely visible.

"I meant my little brother," Sabo said. "Luffy."

"No, I'm so sorry," the fuchsia cat said. "Your brother Ace went to look for him. Said he'd be back to check on you soon."

"Thank you for . . . keeping an eye on me," Sabo said. "Where is this?"

"We've taken shelter under some girl's porch," the lavender cat said. "It's not ideal, but somebody else is living in our house right now, not to mention the mill is destroyed . . ."

Footsteps outside made them fall silent. Boots appeared, and a moment later so did Ace's face as he crouched down, peering underneath the porch.

"Hey, good to see you're awake," he said, giving Sabo a nod. "I haven't found Luffy yet. Gonna keep looking. I'll be back soon."

He straightened up and headed away.

"Hey!" Sabo exclaimed. "Nami's family, thanks so much for this. I'm going with him."

"Stay warm," the fuchsia cat exclaimed as Sabo crawled out from under the porch. "You'll catch your death out there."

"If I'm cold, Luffy's colder," Sabo said. "Goodbye, and good luck."

"If you see Nami, tell her where we are so she can come visit," the lavender cat said.

"I'll do that. Thank you again."

Sabo made it out from under the porch and found Brook sitting guard. Brook looked up at him, his afro and shoulders covered in snow.

"Well?" Sabo said. "I'm gonna go help look for Luffy. Are you coming?"

Brook stood. Sabo nodded and went into the woods, following the distant silhouette of Ace.

"Ace!" he exclaimed. "Wait up!"

The figure slowed down and turned. Ace waited for Sabo and Brook to catch up, and then said, "What is it?"

"What is—? I'm going to help look for Luffy," Sabo said, straightening up. "Why'd you start looking without me? Why were you just going to leave me there?"

"I figured you could take care of yourself," Ace said, turning and walking again. "Even if you couldn't take care of Luffy."

A knife pierced Sabo's chest, and he caught up with him and turned him around by the shoulder. "Ace," he said, fully ready to make a strong and passionate declaration, but instead he found his eyes welling up. "Ace, I'm—"

"You've been ignoring him, haven't you?" Ace said, glaring. "He needs you more than ever, and you've been—"

"Yeah. Yeah, I have. I've been a shitty older brother."

"If you think I'm going to say 'You haven't been,' you—"

"Let me finish, damn it!" Sabo wiped at his eyes. "I'm sorry. I've been a shitty older brother, and I'm going to do better. To be the kind of brother Luffy deserves, for his sake and yours. I can't lose him, too. Not after all that. Not after you."

Ace looked at him long and hard, his expression unreadable.

"You don't have to say you forgive me or anything," Sabo said, releasing his shoulder. "I said what I needed to say. Let's go find Luffy."

He turned, but was blindsided by a punch to his arm.

"Alright," he said, rubbing his shoulder and wincing. "I deserved—"

He was blindsided again, this time by a rough one-armed hug.

"Let's go find Luffy," Ace echoed, pulling back and grinning.

Together with Brook at their side, they walked into the muffled winter forest.


	10. The Fight Is Over

Luffy rubbed his hands together, dropping the straw back into the pile the Beast had collected and brought to him. "Mister?" he said, looking up at the silhouette of the Beast, keeping watch over him in the snow with his mirror-eyes. "I d-dunno if I can d-do this."

"Of course you can, Luffy," the Beast said, tilting his head. "If you can't spin that straw into gold, we can't save your brother."

Luffy blew on his hands, shivering in the cold and regretting as always not having heeded the warning to bring a coat earlier. He sat in the snowy clearing, the wind blowing around him and threatening to knock off his hat. "But I keep spinning it, and it's not doing nothing."

"It's changing, Luffy. It just needs a little more time. Look, it's turning shiny already."

"It is?" Luffy said, blinking. He could barely see in the fog, the sun above him a white disk through the clouds.

"Would I lie to you? Hurry, now. Your brother is counting on you."

"I know." Luffy picked up the straw again, his hands numb in the cold, and spun it around and around as he yawned. "Don' worry, Sabo . . ."

* * *

Ace and Sabo leaned into the wind as they walked, the snow falling thick and fast. Sabo shivered in the cold and wrapped his cape tighter around him. The pale disk in the sky told them it was past noon.

"Where have you looked?" he said to Ace, speaking up over the wind.

"Hard to say," Ace said, turning to speak more clearly. "These woods all look the same, and the snow keeps covering up my footprints. Haven't been able to see too well till now."

Sabo looked over his head at Brook, who was struggling to stay on top of the thick snow as he walked beside them. "Why wasn't he helping in the first place? No offense, Brook," he added as Brook gave him a look. "I just thought he would've been the first to volunteer."

"I asked him to help, but he insisted on guarding you," Ace said. "Must've been something Luffy said."

"Oh," Sabo said, hoping the guilt that pierced his throat didn't come out with his words. "Right. That, um, reminds me. How'd you find Nami's family?"

"About that—"

"Ace, is that you?" someone called. Sabo looked down and, to his shock, saw Nami struggling forward in the snow. "Thank goodness I found you again. I think I saw—"

She froze, seeing Sabo and Brook. "Sabo," she said. "I'm glad you're awake—"

"What is she doing here?" Sabo demanded, whirling around on Ace. Nami flinched and crouched down, looking away.

"Sabo, I know you're mad, but it's okay," Ace said quickly, raising his hands. He lowered them again, catching his cloak and wrapping it around himself. "She brought us to her family so you'd get out of the snow, and she's been helping me look for Luffy. She said she wants to make it up to us."

Sabo's glare softened and he looked at Nami. "Okay," he said, exhaling. "Thank you."

"What were you saying?" Ace asked.

"I think I saw Luffy."

"_Where?!" _Sabo and Ace yelled as Brook's jaw dropped and his hands flew to his face.

"Is he okay?!"

"What's he doing?!"

"I think he's okay," Nami said, tamping the snow down with her paws. "He looked busy, and I thought I saw him with someone, but maybe it was just a big tree." She trotted a few steps away. "I think it was this way."

"Thank you so much," Ace said in relief, holding out his arms. Nami jumped into them and against Ace, trying to keep warm. "Sabo, do you want my cloak?"

"No, I'm fine," Sabo said even as he shivered. "Let's go."

* * *

The sun had long since set by the time Cobra sat on the couch in the house with the destroyed mill. He had finally used up the bundle of edelwood sticks he'd been carrying, had ground them into oil with a machine put together from bits and pieces of the destroyed mill machinery, and now he had run out of his source of oil, his one hope of keeping his daughter alive.

"Vivi," he whispered, holding up the lantern and staring inside. "I'm so sorry. Your old dad'll get some more, just wait and see."

He paused, thinking he saw a strangely familiar shape in the lantern, but it was gone in an instant. Heaving a sigh, he stood with the lantern and his axe and headed out the front door, intending to go into the forest to seek out more edelwood, wherever it may be, but he stopped when he heard the echoes of a song.

"I know that voice," he muttered. Following the melody, he ventured into the forest, wading through the snow, still thick even after it had stopped falling, and lighting his way in the darkness with the lantern.

"_Sorrow and fear are easily forgotten . . ." _

He came upon a clearing. A little ways away stood the Beast, his haunting melody reverberating through the trees as he gazed at something with his mirror-eyes. At Cobra's feet was a pile of straw, some of it bent as if it had been bitten into, and just beyond the straw was—

"_When you submit to the soil of the earth. _It is good to see you here," the Beast said. "I knew you would come."

"What have you done?" Cobra whispered, his lantern casting light on a gruesome image. Luffy rested still inside the beginnings of a tree, its trunk supporting him above the ground and its branches embracing him. His eyes were closed and he did not move.

"I've brought you another edelwood tree, of course," the Beast said, gesturing to Luffy. "He will burn nicely in the lantern, don't you think?"

"You monster," Cobra said, gripping the lantern as he shook. "How could you—?"

"Monster? My dear woodcutter, just what did you think you were grinding up all these years? Those lost souls had no other use."

"I had no idea! I didn't know _this _was where they came from!"

"And would that have stopped you?" the Beast asked, approaching and circling behind him. "What about your daughter? Would you have let her soul burn out? Or maybe . . . oh, my. Don't tell me you just don't _care _for her anymore?"

"Begone, Beast!" Cobra cried, turning and swinging at him with the axe. The Beast dodged it easily, laughing. Cobra approached Luffy with the lantern and set it down, reaching for the wood. "Let's get you free, boy."

The Beast reached for the lantern, but Cobra snatched it away, just in time, standing and backing up as he picked up his axe again.

"Be reasonable, you old fool," the Beast hissed.

"You dared insult my love for my daughter," Cobra snarled, advancing on the Beast. "Nobody loves my daughter more than me! That's why I know she would have rather died than see me here, feeding innocent children to the flame to keep her soul tied to this world!"

He set the lantern down near Luffy and ran at the Beast, swinging his axe again and again, and the Beast dodged the swings again and again, laughing as their fight was taken out of the clearing.

* * *

"Are you sure it was this way, Nami?" Sabo asked.

"Yes, now stop asking me," she hissed.

"Is that a light?" Ace said, pointing.

Sabo, Ace, and Brook hurried forward, Nami still curled up in Ace's arms. In the dark of night, in the shine of the snow, they came upon a clearing.

"Footsteps," Ace said. "Someone was here."

"That looks like Mr. Cobra's lantern," Sabo said. "There, next to that weird tree . . ."

He crossed the clearing. As he knelt by the lantern and picked it up, the thing he had thought was a tree caught his eyes, and he gasped.

"Luffy!" he exclaimed. "Ace, guys, get over here!"

"Luffy?!" Ace exclaimed, running forward with Brook. Nami jumped out of his arms, and the four of them surrounded Luffy.

"Luffy?" Sabo whispered. Luffy stirred and opened his eyes.

"Sabo," he whispered. He gave him a grin, weak for his numb face and the branch squashing his cheek. "Did I do it? Did I save you?"

"Did you—yes, you did," Sabo said, cupping Luffy's face in his hands. "You saved me. Luffy, I'm so sorry I—"

"It's okay," Luffy said, his eyes fluttering. "Everything's okay. Sabo, can you say sorry to Usopp and Chopper for me?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Sabo said as Brook started puling on the branches surrounding Luffy.

"I lied to you. I said they went home but I ditched them. I just wanted to find you, and go on a beetle-hunt. So, can you . . ." Luffy shuddered. "Say . . . sorry?"

"No," Sabo said, shaking his head. "No, I won't, because you're coming home and you're going to say sorry to them yourself."

Luffy drew in a breath to speak again, but his eyes slipped shut and he went limp. He was pale, his veins visible through his skin, his lips blue and chapped, and he was cold, so cold—

"Luffy?" Sabo whispered. "No, no—" His eyes welled up and he yanked on the branches, Ace copying him and Nami biting the lower ones. "Please, not this—"

"He's gonna be fine," Ace said through gritted teeth even as he wiped at his own eyes. "Luffy, _hang in there—" _

A groan from the edge of the clearing made the four of them look up. The woodcutter Cobra was there, collapsed on the ground, and a moment later his axe came flying out of the woods, landing bladeside-down in the snow at Sabo's feet.

"Who . . . ?" Sabo whispered as a large silhouette appeared from the trees, branch-like antlers sprouting from its head and staring at the group with mirror-eyes. "Is that . . . ?"

"The Beast," Ace whispered, his hands frozen over the branches.

"You," the Beast said, his voice echoing in the clearing. "Sabo. Give me my lantern."

"Your lantern?" Sabo looked between the lantern and Cobra, who struggled to sit up.

"Poor, poor Luffy," the Beast said, shaking his head. "I'm afraid it is too late for him. He will soon become part of my forest."

"Like hell he will," Sabo snapped, pulling at the branches. "Why won't these things come _off—" _

"But," the Beast said. "If you like, we can make a deal."

"No way," Ace said, trying to pull the tree out of the ground as Luffy's head sagged onto his shoulder. Brook supported him, stroking his cheek with one finger and opening an eyelid.

"What sort of deal?" Sabo said.

"I will put his soul into the lantern." The Beast pointed to it as he spoke. "If you will take on the task of lantern-bearer, and keep the flame alive, your brother will live on, inside the lantern. What do you say?"

"No," Sabo said. He picked up the lantern and straightened up, backing away from the Beast. "Even if that's possible—even if you're telling the truth—Luffy wouldn't want that. He would want to be free. He'd want _me _to go home, even if . . . even if he couldn't."

"Foolish boy," the Beast said, his words trembling. "I'm trying to help you."

"Help me? Yeah," Sabo said, his voice shaking. "I bet that's what you told Luffy, isn't it? Is that why he came out here all on his own? Is that why he's like this? It's your fault, isn't it?" He glanced at Cobra, gripping the lantern handle so hard it was a wonder the metal didn't warp. Nami looked up at him, her bite marks left in the branches at the base, and even Ace and Brook paused in their task. "Mr. Cobra was carrying this lantern before. I bet you fed him the same story. If anyone's soul is in this lantern, it's—"

The Beast shuddered, his mirror-eyes flashing and his form flickering as if he was being viewed in stop-motion. All at once, he, Ace, Luffy, Brook, Nami, Cobra, and everything else in the clearing vanished, leaving only Sabo, holding the lantern and staring into the nothingness.

"Are you ready to face true darkness?"

Sabo opened the lantern door and drew in a breath. Several things happened in rapid succession: A hand landed on his shoulder, the light abruptly returned, and the Beast was back, reaching out to Sabo with a cry.

"Sabo," Ace whispered. He nodded to Cobra, who was dazed but awake, and was staring at the lantern with distraught eyes.

"Okay," Sabo said reluctantly. He shut the door and brought the lantern over to Cobra. "Here. You deal with this." He walked back to Luffy, picking up the axe. "Me and my brother are going home."

As he made Nami and Brook stand back and chopped at the base of the tree, Cobra sat up and held up the lantern, staring inside. "She was never in here," he whispered. "Was she, Beast?"

"Cobra, my friend," the Beast said, kneeling behind him. "Listen to me. Listen . . ."

Freed from the trunk, Sabo lifted Luffy up and peeled the branches off of him, dropping them. He held Luffy up to his ear, listening next to his mouth and nose.

"He's breathing," he said. He held Luffy close to him. "Thank god. I don't know what I'd do if he . . ."

He shook his head. "Ace, help me with him."

Ace took Luffy, feeling his forehead as Sabo removed his cape. "Nami," he said, wrapping the cloth around Luffy to keep him warm. "What will you do?"

"I'll go back to my family," Nami said. "I'll tell them it's my fault we got turned into cats, and I couldn't get the shears from Adelaide."

"Shears?" Sabo said, surprised, as Brook and Ace helped adjust Luffy on Sabo's back, Luffy's limp arms draped over his shoulders and his hat at an angle. "Brook—"

Brook checked on Luffy one more time before reaching into his shirt. He rummaged around in his ribcage and pulled out a large pair of golden shears. Nami gasped.

"Wh—you had them?" she shrieked.

"I didn't know you needed them?" Sabo said, shrugging as Brook placed the shears in front of her. "Brook used them to get us free, and . . ."

Nami ran up to Brook and nuzzled his leg, and he knelt and patted her head. "Thank you," she said to him, looking up. "And thank you guys, too," she added to Ace and Sabo. "If I'd never met you, I don't know what I . . ."

She pressed her head against Ace's leg and Sabo's leg in turn. "Goodbye, Ace, Sabo. Goodbye, Luffy," she said, looking up at him.

"Goodbye," Ace and Sabo said together. Brook waved. Nami picked up the shears in her mouth and ran off through the snow.

Ace, Sabo, and Brook started walking through the woods in the dead of night, the moon shining above them. Sabo supported Luffy on his back, his arms tucked behind him to keep him from slipping. As the clearing vanished behind them, the Beast whispered into Cobra's ear.

"All who perish in this forest will become edelwood for the lantern," he hissed. "Go! Strike them down!"

Cobra stood and whipped around, shining the lantern directly on the Beast and catching a glimpse of a grotesque figure made up of a thousand screaming faces locked in wood for eternity. The Beast flinched from the light and backed away. Cobra held the lantern close to his face and opened the door.

"Don't do it," the Beast said, reaching out. Cobra took a step back. "I warn you. You'll never see your daughter again! Can you really go back to that empty house?!"

Cobra grit his teeth and drew in a breath.

"_Cobra—!" _

With a strong puff of air, the lantern went out, and so did the Beast.

* * *

"Ace?" Sabo said as the clearing vanished behind them. Brook was at his side, keeping an eye on Luffy. "Are you sure you can't come with us?"

"You know I can't," Ace said, stopping and looking down.

"Yeah. I know. I just . . . yeah." Sabo looked up at Brook. "What about you? What will you do?"

Brook rattled his bones.

"Sounds like he'll escort you back," Ace said. "Good man, Brook."

Brook straightened and saluted.

"I guess this is goodbye, then," Sabo said.

"I guess so."

In sync they stepped forward and hugged each other, each one gripping the other's arms. They never wanted to let go, but let go they did, their hands lingering for a moment. Ace stepped forward and leaned in, pushing Luffy's hat aside to kiss his forehead, and Luffy mumbled something, leaning into Sabo's back.

"Goodbye, Ace."

"Goodbye, Sabo."

* * *

Sabo opened his eyes, his vision blurry, and found himself floating, floating in the cold cold river. He looked around, eyes widening, and spotted Luffy and Brook sinking below him. He let out a breath, willing himself to sink, and grabbed them both in one arm, kicking his legs and sweeping his other arm. _Please if I only swim once in my life let it be now please please please _

He broke the surface and gasped, clutching Luffy to him while Brook tumbled onto the shore. Up the hill, by the train tracks, were several silhouettes of people holding flashlights and calling out his name.

"Help," he croaked, before he blacked out again.

* * *

"Sabo?"

Sabo opened his eyes, squinting up at the white ceiling. "Where . . . ?"

"Hospital."

Sabo blinked, becoming aware of the smell of hand sanitizer, the I.V. in his arm, the stiff pajamas he wore, and the bed he lay on. "Luffy . . . Luffy," he said, trying to sit up and wincing. "Where's Luffy?"

"Hi, Sabo!" Luffy exclaimed. Sabo turned, looking to his right, and found Luffy on a bed next to him, an I.V. in his arm, his hat on the bedpost, and wearing fresh pajamas.

"Luffy," Sabo said, relieved. "You're okay?"

"Yeah! I wanna go home."

"They were saying you might have to stay overnight." Sabo looked back and found Koala at his side, still wearing her costume.

"Koala," he said, surprised. He tried to sit up again and gave up, lying back down. "Where's everyone else?"

"Downstairs. They sent me up to check on you since the staff said no visitors yet." She pointed to the open window behind her, and then rested her head in her hands, staring at Sabo. "You really scared us, stupid."

"Koala, I'm really sorry."

"It's not like you _meant _to—"

"No, I mean—" Sabo winced. "I mean for . . . avoiding you guys. I should've talked to you all way before now. I thought maybe you . . . hated me, for not . . ."

"Get better soon so I can punch you," Koala said, grinning.

"Huh?"

"We're not mad, stupid. You needed time. That's okay."

Sabo let out a weak laugh, sinking into his pillow. "Wow. Okay. Thank you."

"Wanna talk in school on Monday?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course."

"Sabo, where's Brook?" Luffy interrupted.

"Brook? He's . . . the pi—police probably took him away, Luffy. He is a skeleton."

Luffy frowned. "But he's _our _skeleton."

"I know. They probably want to find out who he is."

"We know who he is. He's Brook."

Sabo smiled. "Don't you think he deserves a proper burial?"

"Luffy, tell you what," Koala said. "We're paying a visit to the pi—police station in a couple weeks. We'll try to find out what happened to Brook when we go there."

"Okay!" Luffy said, placated.

"See you Monday," Koala said, standing and swinging back out the window.

"See you," Sabo echoed as she shut it behind her. He tried to sit up again and managed it this time, turning to look at Luffy. "Hey, Luffy?"

"What?"

"Wanna go beetle-hunting tomorrow?"

Luffy's eyes widened and he sat up. "Really?!"

"Yeah," Sabo said, smiling even as Luffy lay back down, too weak to get up yet. He himself lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. "And . . . we'll go visit Ace. What do you say?"

"I say yes! Let's do it!"

"Tomorrow," Sabo said, turning his head to look at Luffy with a smile. "I promise."

* * *

Cobra sat on his porch, staring out into the snow, unable to bring himself to go inside just yet. But through the window, a light turned on, and the front door opened. A girl with blue hair in a ponytail stepped out, a shawl around her shoulders and a candle in her hand.

"Father?" she whispered.

Cobra gasped and stood, his eyes welling up. Vivi stared at him, stunned, and began to cry.

…

In the town of Floria, skeletons rested in their houses, their pumpkin costumes removed, for the harvest was over. And in the town barn, two skeletons holding hands lay side-by-side, one with a white hat, one with an afro, and the grizzled old black cat curled up between them, purring.

…

"No, you can't go out until you all put on your winter clothes, you'll catch colds," Sanji said, dressing up Toko so thickly she could barely see. As he forced mittens onto her, he continued, "Winter should be illegal, honestly."

"You worry too much," Zoro said, leaning against a wall. "Guys, I'll throw you into snowbanks as soon as the mother hen stops fussing."

"Sometimes I wish you'd stayed a gorilla!" Sanji snapped, whirling around on him as the girls cheered. "And you are _not _going outside in that T-shirt! Go get your winter stuff!"

"I do just fine in the cold, and look at me," Franky said, pointing to his hotpants. "Besides, you think that suit will keep you warm?"

"I'm going to change as soon as I finish with the girls! Honestly," Sanji said, beckoning Tama over. "With the way you two act, I wish we had another person on the staff!"

A knock at the door made them look around. Zoro crossed the room and opened the door. Sanji stood and he and Franky went over to see who their visitor was, and the girls trotted over (Toko wobbled due to her excess clothing) and peered around Sanji's legs.

"Pardon me," Robin said, shivering. "Could I ask to stay the night?"

…

A girl with short orange hair leaned against the window of her house, watching the snow fall outside.

"Nami," someone said. "Come on, get it while it's hot."

"Bellemere, I don't even like bean soup," Nami complained, turning around and coming back to the table anyway.

"And what are you doing to do about it?" Bellemere said, her hands on her hips as Nami sat down next to her lavender-haired sister. "Turn us into cats again? I'd like to see you try! We're only having this because for _some _reason we couldn't pick fresh crops this fall—"

"Okay, okay," Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, Nami, quit complaining," her sister Nojiko said, poking her. "Besides, we've got a guest."

"I don't mind, really," Ace said, grinning. "You don't have to stop fighting on my behalf."

This made everyone laugh, and as Bellemere fixed her ponytail and Nami and Nojiko picked up their spoons, Nami said, "So, what do you say? Would you like to live here for a while?"

"That's very generous, but no, thank you," Ace said, sipping his soup. The fire crackled in the fireplace. "I prefer to wander. Then again . . ." He glanced at the door leading to the former mill. "If you want me to come by again in spring and help fix the mill . . . ?"

"Unless you can find a professional, that'd be great," Bellemere said, relieved. "I don't know _what _could have caused that kind of damage—"

"Uh, yeah, me either, I don't know a thing about it," Ace said, hastily shoving a spoonful of soup into his mouth and making his eyes water with the heat.

"Do you think your brothers got home okay?" Nami asked as he recovered, looking out the window again.

"Of course they did," Ace said, grinning. "They're tough. They'll be just fine."

"Want more soup?" Bellemere asked, noticing his bowl was half-empty.

He looked down at it. "You're being very generous already," he said, starting to stand. "I wouldn't want to impose. In fact, I should probably be going—"

Bellemere came over and rapped him on the head with her spoon. He winced and sat back down.

"Bellemere," Nojiko hissed.

"Nobody at this table is imposing, least of all you," Bellemere said, folding her arms. "You're staying right here and enjoying some hospitality until that snow lets up. Do you understand me?"

"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Ace said, rubbing his head.

"Good! Now finish your soup." She eyed Nami. "All of you."

Nami rolled her eyes again, but smiled and went back to her soup. The snow falling outside laid a blanket of silence over the world, and the brook just before the woods had frozen over, its babbling muted. All was well.


End file.
